THE   INITIALS 


H  Stors  of  flDooeru  Xif e 


THE   BARONESS  TAUTPHOEUS 

AUTHOR   OF  "  QUITS,"    "  CYRILI.A  " 
"  AT   ODDS,"  ETC. 


VOLUME  If. 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

NEW   YORK  LONDON 

37   WEST  TWENTY-THIRD   STREET      24   BEDFORD   STREET,   STRAND 

£fce  limcktrboclur  |)«ss 


Electrotyped,  Printed,  and  Bound  by 

Ube  iftnicfcerbocfeer  ipress,  IRew  12orfe 
G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 


StacK 


5015968 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE   CHURCHYARD       .  .  .s  .      '     . 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

GERMAN   SOUP      ....... 

CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  WARNING 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE   STRUGGLE  .  .  .  .  .  , 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE    DEPARTURE  ...... 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    LONG    DAY  ...... 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 

THE    CHRISTMAS-TREE,    AND    MIDNIGHT    MASS 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE    GARRET         

CHAPTER   XXVI. 


THE   DISCUSSION 
VOL.  II. 


Ill 


PAGE 

I 


8 


28 


35 


57 


66 


•     75 


.   104 


.   117 


iv  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

PAGE 
THE    SLEDGE 125 

CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

A   BALL   AT  THE  MUSEUM   CLUB IJI 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A    DAY    OF    FREEDOM 173 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE    MASQUERADE l88 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

WHERE    IS   THE   BRIDEGROOM?     .....    2O8 

CHAPTER    XXXII. 

THE    WEDDING    AU   TROISIEME      .....    22O 

CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

A   CHANGE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .    231 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE   ARRANGEMENT     .  .  .  .  .  .      •     .    242 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE    DIFFICULTY    REMOVED 255 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

•• 
THE    IRON    WORKS         .......    26l 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

AN  UNEXPECTED  MEETING  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES         .    273 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

THE    EXPERIMENT  .    288 


Contents.  v 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

PAGE 
THE   RECALL 308 

CHAPTER  XL. 

HOHENFELS  .  .  .  .  .  „  .  .318 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

THE  SCHEIBEN-SCHIESSEN  (TARGET  SHOOTING  MATCH),    33! 

CHAPTER  XLII. 

A   DISCOURSE        ...  .  .  .  .    346 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 

ANOTHER    KIND    OF    DISCOURSE 354 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 

THE  JOURNEY   HOME   COMMENCES         ....    361 

CHAPTER  XLV. 

WHAT    OCCURRED   AT    THE    HOTEL   D*ANGLETERRE   IN 

FRANKFORT  .  .  .  .  .  .  .    370 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 

HALT !.........    382 

CHAPTER  XLVII. 

CONCLUSION  ........    406 


THE    INITIALS. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

THE    CHURCHYARD. 

TIAMILTON  experienced  a  sort  of  satisfac- 
tion in  avoiding  both  sisters  for  some  time 
— the  idea  that  he  was  endeavouring  to  cure 
Crescenz  of  her  too  evident  partiality  was  almost 
sublime,  and  would  probably  have  turned  his 
youthful  head  had  not  Hildegarde  formed  a 
counterpoise.  Her  former  dislike  to  him  seemed 
to  have  returned  with  redoubled  force.  She 
scarcely  looked  at,  never  spoke  to  him,  and 
seemed  not  in  the  least  to  observe  that  he  no 
longer  passed  the  evenings  at  home.  He  had 
found  no  difficulty  in  disposing  of  his  time  ;  in- 
troductions to  a  few  German  families  had  been 
followed  by  general  invitations,  of  which  he 
availed  himself  at  first  with  eager  pleasure,  but 
soon  afterwards  with  a  feeling  of  indescribable 
ennui ;  he  missed  Hildegarde's  society,  and  be- 
gan to  consider  in  what  way  he  could  imper- 


Cbe  Unittals. 


ceptibly  renew  their  former  intimacy  ;  but  this 
was  more  difficult  than  he  had  imagined,  for  the 
sisters  seemed  to  have  formed  an  alliance  offen- 
sive and  defensive  against  him.  Crescenz  no 
longer  sang  when  learning  to  make  pies  and  pud- 
dings in  the  kitchen  ;  and  if  he  looked  in,  she 
retreated  behind  the  dresser.  Hildegarde's  door 
was  now  always  shut,  perhaps  because  the  weather 
had  become  colder,  but  Hamilton  imagined  it 
was  to  prevent  his  leaning  against  the  door-posts, 
to  watch  her  giving  her  brothers  instruction  until 
the  dinner  was  announced.  The  rarity  and 
shortness  of  his  present  intercourse  served  but 
to  keep  her  in  his  memory,  and  perpetually  re- 
new his  regret  for  their  last  most  unnecessary 
quarrel. 

One  cold  fine  morning,  as  he  was  leaving  the 
house  to  keep  an  appointment  with  Zedwitz,  he 
perceived  her  standing  with  Crescenz  and  her 
father  at  the  passage-window  looking  into  the 
court.  They  were  dressed  in  deep  mourning,  and 
held  in  their  hands  large  wreaths  of  ivy,  inter- 
spersed with  clusters  of  red  berries  ;  they  con- 
templated them  with  evident  satisfaction,  while 
their  father  spoke  so  earnestly  that  Hamilton's 
approach  was  at  first  unperceived,  and  he  heard 
Mr.  Rosenberg  say, "  You  can  easily  imagine  why 
I  prefer  going  alone,  and  at  some  other  time.  As 
long  as  you  were  at  school,  gratitude  for  my  wife's 
attention  forced  me  to  accompany  her  to  the 
churchyard — the  task  of  placing  the  wreaths  now 


Cburcbgarfc. 


devolves  on  you,  and  I  wish  you  both  to  thank 
her  as  she  deserves.  You  will  not  surely  find  it 
difficult  to  comply  with  my  request." 

"  I  hope  nothing  unexpected  has  occurred —  " 
began  Hamilton,  looking  at  the  sable  garments 
of  the  sisters. 

"  Nothing  whatever,"  replied  Mr.  Rosenberg, 
smiling.  "  It  is  All  Saints'  Day,  and  my  girls  are 
going  to  place  wreaths  on  their  mother's  grave. 
I  suppose  you  too  are  on  the  way  to  the  church- 
yard, like  all  the  rest  of  the  world  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Hamilton,  "  why  should  I  go 
there  ? " 

"  I  don't  know,  indeed,"  replied  Mr.  Rosen- 
berg, "  excepting  as  a  stranger  it  might  interest 
you  to  see  the  decorated  graves." 

"  If  there  be  anything  to  see,  I  shall  certainly 
ride  to  the  churchyard  after  I  have  kept  my 
appointment  with  Zedwitz,"  said  Hamilton, 
stooping  to  examine  the  wreath  which  hung  on 
Hildegarde's  arm. 

"  My  wife  surprised  Hildegarde  with  this 
wreath  and  a  bouquet  of  superb  dahlias  this 
morning,  and  I  have  just  been  telling  her  that 
her  mother's  grave  has  been  decorated  every  year 
in  the  same  manner." 

"  I  am  fully  aware  of  my  step-mother's  kind- 
ness," said  Hildegarde,  with  some  embarrass- 
ment, "and  am  sorry  I  ever  did  her  injustice." 

"That 's  right,  Hildegarde,"  replied  her  father. 
"  Now  I  know  you  will  say  all  I  wish — to-morrow 


a  be  flnttfate. 


we  can  go  alone  together,  but  to-day  you  must 
accompany  your  step-mother." 

Hamilton  desired  his  servant  to  meet  him  at 
the  churchyard,  and  rode  off  to  the  barracks  ;  he 
had  no  difficulty  in  persuading  Zedwitz  to  accom- 
pany him,  after  having  told  him  Hildegarde  was 
there.  "  I  will  go  to  meet  the  living,"  he  said, 
"  but  not  to  pray  for  the  dead,  inasmuch  as  I  not 
only  doubt  the  efficacy  of  my  prayers,  but  the 
existence  of  purgatory." 

"  Hush  !  "  said  Hamilton,  laughing ;  "  no  good 
Catholics  should  entertain  a  doubt  on  the  subject. 
I  hope  I  shall  not  find  you  as  unbelieving  as  my 
friend  Biedermann,  who  has  substituted  philoso- 
phy for  religion,  and  talks  of  the  soul  resolving 
itself  into  the  eternal  essence  after  its  separation 
from  the  body." 

"  No,"  said  Zedwitz,  "  I  am  a  good  Catholic, 
and  believe  more  than  many  professors  of  my 
religion.  I  go  to  mass  every  Sunday  and  holi- 
day, and  my  mother  takes  care  that  I  confess  my 
sins  once  a  year  at  least." 

"  That  same  confession  must  be  rather  a  bore," 
observed  Hamilton. 

"Sometimes — rather,"  replied  Zedwitz,  mak- 
ing his  horse  dance  along  the  road. 

"  It  seems  as  if  all  Munich  had  turned  out  in 
mourning,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  the  crowd,  too,  re- 
minds me  of  the  October  fete,  but  the  faces  do 
not  exactly  suit  the  garments.  Is  it  not  necessary 
to  look  a  little  sorrowful  on  such  an  occasion  ? " 


"  How  can  you  be  so  unreasonable ! "  ex- 
claimed Zedwitz  ;  "  many  of  these  persons  are 
about  to  visit  the  graves  of  relations  who  have 
been  dead  a  dozen  years !  For  my  part,  I  find 
something  respectable,  almost  praiseworthy,  in 
the  dedication  of  one  day  in  the  year  to  the  mem- 
ory of  the  dead,  even  though  tearlessly  spent." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  said  Hamilton,  "  and 
the  idea  of  praying  for  their  souls  is  poetical  in 
the  extreme.  Had  I  been  a  Catholic,  that  is  one 
of  the  tenets  I  should  most  tenaciously  have 
believed.  But,"  he  resumed  after  a  long  pause,  "  it 
seems  odd  that  All  Saints'  Day  instead  of  All 
Souls'  Day,  should  be  chosen — can  you  tell  me 
why  ?  " 

"No,"  replied  Zedwitz,  "you  must  ask  some- 
one better  informed  on  these  subjects  than  I 
am  ;  all  I  know  is,  that  the  observance  itself  was 
instituted  by  one  of  the  popes  about  twelve 
hundred  years  ago." 

"  But  I  should  have  thought  that  as  none  of 
the  relatives  of  these  people  have  been  saints — 
to-morrow,  being  All  Souls'  Day,  would  be  the 
proper  day  to  choose." 

"Very  likely,"  answered  Zedwitz,  laughing. 
"  I  have  never  thought  about  the  matter,  but  I 
suppose  the  first  of  November  is  what  you  would 
in  England  call  the  most  fashionable  day.  Ask 
my  mother  the  first  time  you  see  her,  and  she  will 
tell  you  everything  about  it.  By-the-by,  when 
do  you  intend  to  visit  us  ?  " 


tTbe  fTnftfals. 


"  As  soon  as  I  have  a  second  horse  and  a  sledge. 
I  enjoy  the  idea  of  sledging  so  much  that  I  wish 
with  all  my  heart  it  would  begin  to  snow  to-mor- 
row. But  here  we  are,  and  I  hope  Hildegarde 
may  prove  a  very  loadstone  to  you,  otherwise  we 
shall  scarcely  find  her  among  all  these  people." 

The  crowd  was  immense,  and  they  made  their 
way  slowly  through  it,  but  Hamilton  was  inter- 
ested in  the  novelty  of  the  scene  ;  his  compan- 
ion's eyes  wandered  toward  the  different  groups 
of  dark  moving  figures,  who  occasionally  stopped 
to  sprinkle  the  graves  of  departed  friends  with 
water  placed  near  for  the  purpose.  Hamilton 
was  occupied  with  the  tombstones  and  crosses, 
which  were  variously  and  tastefully  decorated 
with  wreaths,  festoons,  bouquets  of  flowers,  and 
coloured  lamps.  Even  the  graves  of  the  poorest 
were  strewn  with  charcoal,  and  ornamented  with 
red  berries  and  moss,  while  tearful  groups  sur- 
rounding those  newly  made,  gave  an  additional 
shade  of  solemnity  to  a  religious  rite  which  Ham- 
ilton had  been  taught  to  consider  superfluous. 

The  attempt  to  find  the  Rosenbergs,  or  rather 
Hildegarde,  among  the  moving  multitude,  was 
long  fruitless,  and  might  have  proved  altogether 
so,  had  not  they  met  the  Hoffmanns  and  Raimund, 
who  led  them  at  once  to  the  object  of  their 
search.  Madame  Rosenberg  was  preparing  to 
depart,  and  held  in  her  hand  a  brush  dipped  in 
water,  which  she  shook  over  the  grave.  Hilde- 
garde and  Crescenz  followed  her  example,  before 


tlbe  Cburcbsarfc. 


they  spoke  to  Zedwitz  or  Hamilton  ;  but  directly 
they  laid  it  aside,  the  two  boys,  finding  themselves 
unwatched,  began  a  contest  for  it,  which  became 
so  loud,  that  their  mother,  turning  quickly  towards 
them,  and  perceiving  their  irreverent  conduct, 
seized  the  subject  of  dispute,  and  bestowing  a 
thump  upon  each,  shoved  them  on  before  her, 
while  she  exclaimed  :  "  I  ought  to  have  left  you 
at  home,  you  tiresome  children  ;  you  have  never 
ceased  plaguing  me  since  we  came  out.  Only  im- 
agine," she  said,  addressing  Hamilton  ;  "  Gustle 
was  twice  nearly  run  over,  and  Peppy  fell  so  often, 
that  the  Major  was  at  last  obliged  to  carry  him  !  " 

Zedwitz  and  Raimund  had  immediately  joined 
Hildegarde.  Raimund,  whose  mouth  had  been 
distended  by  a  frightful  yawn  when  they  had 
met  him,  was  now  smiling  radiantly,  and  evi- 
dently endeavouring  to  monopolise  his  cousin, 
who,  however,  seemed  rather  indisposed  to  lis- 
ten to  him,  and  bestowed  her  attentions  almost 
exclusively  on  Zedwitz.  Raimund  at  length 
rejoined  his  betrothed,  saying,  loud  enough 
for  Hamilton  to  hear,  "  Hildegarde  knows  what 
she  is  about ;  when  Zedwitz  is  present  she  has 
neither  word  nor  look  for  her  poor  cousin  !  " 

"You  get  words  and  looks  enough  from  her 
every  evening  when  she  is  with  us,"  observed 
Madame  de  Hoffmann,  with  some  bitterness. 

Hamilton  turned  round,  and  saw  Mademoiselle 
de  Hoffmann's  glance  of  reproach  towards  her 
mother,  and  Raimund's  confusion.  The  words 


fnitfala. 


"every  evening"  grated  on  his  ear,  and  before 
he  could  arrange  the  unpleasant  ideas  which  had 
at  once  entered  his  mind,  they  had  reached  the 
churchyard  gate,  and  Zedwitz,  approaching  him, 
whispered  hurriedly,  "  I  would  not  lose  this  walk 
home  for  any  consideration.  Your  advice  about 
Hildegarde  was  excellent,  and  I  am  determined 
to  follow  it.  Pray  let  your  servant  take  charge 
of  my  horse." 

"  My  advice  !  "  repeated  Hamilton,  with  a 
forced  smile,  but  Zedwitz  had  left  him,  and  the 
crowd  had  closed  between  them.  Murmuring 
some  directions  to  his  servant,  Hamilton  sprang 
upon  his  horse — the  animal,  always  restive,  no 
sooner  felt  his  impetuous  spring  than  he  plunged 
violently,  and  on  receiving  an  angry  check, 
reared — lost  his  balance — and  fell  backwards — 
rolling  over  his  rider  to  the  horror  of  all  the  by- 
standers. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

GERMAN    SOUP. 

TJAMILTON  was  taken  up  senseless.  Zed- 
*  *  witz  rushed  to  his  assistance.  Madame 
Rosenberg  could  not  leave  her  children,  but  was 
obliged  to  hold  them  fast  by  their  hands.  Major 
Stultz  endeavoured  with  a  half-offended  air  to 
tranquillise  Crescenz,  whose  screams  had  begun 
to  subside  into  a  flood  of  tears.  Raimund  coolly 


German  Soup. 


exclaimed  to  Mademoiselle  de  Hoffmann  that 
Hamilton  had  been  aware  of  the  viciousness  of 
the  horse  when  he  purchased  it,  but  had  imag- 
ined himself  too  good  a  rider  to  be  thrown.  Hil- 
degarde,  having  obtained  a  flacon  de  1'eau  de 
Cologne  from  a  stranger,  was  soon  beside  Zed- 
witz,  endeavouring  to  restore  Hamilton  to  con- 
sciousness ;  he  very  soon  opened  his  eyes,  looked 
around  him,  and  on  Zedwitz  asking  him  where 
he  was  hurt,  began  to  speak  incoherently  in 
English. 

"  We  must  get  a  carriage  and  take  him  home 
as  soon  as  possible,"  said  Zedwitz  ;  "he  seems 
more  seriously  injured  than  I  imagined  from  the 
slight  wound  on  his  temple." 

"Well,  this  is  really  dreadful!"  exclaimed 
Madame  Rosenberg  ;  "  and  there  is  not  a  soul  in 
our  house,  for  I  gave  Walburg  leave  to  go  out. 
Here  is  the  key  of  the  door — what  can  I  do  with 
the  boys  ?  " 

"  Let  me  take  charge  of  them,"  said  Madame 
de  Hoffmann. 

"  I  am  as  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  offer  as 
if  I  could  accept  it,"  replied  Madame  Rosenberg, 
"but  unfortunately  they  are  so  unruly  that  I 
cannot  leave  them  with  you  more  than  with  their 
sisters  and  the  Major.  There  is  no  help  for  it. 
Hildegarde,  you  must  go  in  the  carriage,  and 
send  old  Hans  directly  for  Doctor  Berger." 

"  May  I  not  go,  too  ?  "  said  Crescenz,  timidly  ; 
"  I  am  so  tired  !  " 


io  ftbe  Ifnitfals. 


"  Oh,  of  course,"  replied  her  mother,  ironically  ; 
"  another  fit  of  screaming  would  greatly  benefit 
Mr.  Hamilton.  Here,  Hildegarde,  take  the  key 
and  be  off." 

On  their  way  home,  Hamilton  alone  was  loqua- 
cious ;  he  spoke  English  incessantly,  sometimes 
murmuring,  sometimes  vehemently.  Hildegarde 
blushed  deeply,  and  appeared  unusually  embar- 
rassed which  Zedwitz  interpreted  to  his  own 
advantage,  totally  unconscious  that  she  under- 
stood the  ravings  of  Hamilton,  which  had  already 
revealed  much  he  was  anxious  to  conceal  from 
her  ;  his  last  thought  before  his  fall  had  been  of 
her,  his  last  feeling  annoyance  on  her  account, 
and  he  now  unreservedly  poured  forth  both  with 
wild  volubility. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  bind  a  handkerchief 
over  his  forehead,"  said  Hildegarde  at  last. 
"  The  motion  of  the  carriage  has  made  the  blood 
flow." 

"  I  ought  to  have  thought  of  that,"  said  Zed- 
witz, assisting  her  ;  "  he  does  not  seem  to  know 
either  of  us,  and  evidently  thinks  you  some  other 
person.  Who  is  this  Helene  of  whom  he  is 
speaking  now  ?  " 

"Some  one  in  England,  I  suppose." 

"  Poor  fellow  !  most  probably  he  fancies  him- 
self at  home.  I  am  very  glad  to  perceive  that  he 
is  beginning  to  be  exhausted.  There  is  some- 
thing frightful  in  this  sort  of  raving,  even  when 
one  does  not  understand  it." 


(Serman  Soup. 


"  Do  you  think  there  is  any  danger  to  be 
apprehended  ?  "  asked  Hildegarde,  calmly. 

"  I  hope  not ;  but  his  brain  must  be  affected  in 
some  way,  or  he  would  not  talk  as  he  has  done." 

Directly  on  reaching  the  house  they  sent 
for  Doctor  Berger,  who  came,  accompanied 
by  Mr.  Biedermann  ;  the  latter  declaring  at  once 
his  intention  of  remaining  to  take  care  of  his 
friend.  Hamilton  looked  inquiringly  from  one 
to  the  other  as  they  entered  the  room,  and  then 
said  quickly  in  German,  "  I  know  you." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  the  Doctor,  adjust- 
ing his  spectacles,  and  turning  to  Biedermann,  he 
whispered,  "  They  have  been  unnecessarily 
alarmed,  it  seems." 

"  Yes,  I  know  you.  You  are  the  ugly  old  doc- 
tor with  the  protruding  chin  who  married  Cres- 
cenz,  after  she  had  walked  by  moonlight  at 
Seon." 

The  Doctor  shook  his  head  and  turned  to  Zed- 
witz  for  an  explanation  of  the  accident.  This  was 
quickly  given,  and  he  and  Hildegarde  waited  with 
evident  anxiety  to  hear  the  Doctor's  opinion.  It 
was  not  so  favourable  as  they  had  expected — 
severe  remedies  were  necessary,  and  a  fortnight 
elapsed  before  Hamilton  was  pronounced  quite 
out  of  danger.  During  this  time  nothing  could 
equal  the  attention  bestowed  on  him  by  the 
Rosenberg  family  and  his  friend  Biedermann, 
who  passed  every  night  on  a  sofa  in  his  room. 
Zedwitz,  too,  spent  daily  hours  with  him — per- 


12  ftbe  flnitfals. 


haps  the  visits  of  the  latter  were  not  quite  dis- 
interested, for  he  often  met  Hildegarde,  who  was 
employed  to  amuse  Hamilton,  as  he  was  neither 
allowed  to  hear  reading,  nor  to  attempt  to  read 
himself.  As  soon  as  he  was  pronounced  conval- 
escent, he  had  a  constant  succession  of  visitors 
every  day  ;  not  only  his  own  acquaintance,  but 
everyone  who  had  seen  him  with  the  Rosenbergs  ; 
he  felt  at  times  perhaps  quite  as  much  bored  as 
obliged,  and  remembered  occasionally  with  regret 
that  more  dangerous  part  of  his  illness  when  Hil- 
degarde had  sat  alone  in  his  darkened  chamber, 
and  Crescenz  gently  opened  the  door  every 
quarter  of  an  hour  to  ask  if  he  were  better — 
her  mother,  at  Major  Stultz's  instigation,  hav- 
ing strictly  forbidden  her  to  enter  the  room. 
Even  the  fussy  visits  of  Madame  Rosenberg, 
who  invariably  insisted  on  half  making  his  bed 
and  thumping  all  his  pillows,  were  recollected 
with  pleasure,  and  he  wondered  at  the  impatience 
with  which  he  had  received  these  well-meant 
civilities,  having  once  forgotten  himself  so  far  as 
to  wish  in  very  correct  German  that  the  devil 
would  come  in  ipsissimd  persona  and  take  her  out 
of  his  presence  !  which  speech  had  so  alarmed 
her  for  the  state  of  his  brain  that  she  had  imme- 
diately sent  off  for  the  doctor. 

The  period  of  convalescence  was  not  without 
its  pleasures  either,  and  Hamilton  knew  how  to 
appreciate  them.  Hildegarde  was  obliged  to  read 
or  talk  to  him  whenever  he  choose,  was  forbidden 


(Bernian  Soup.  13 


to  contradict  or  quarrel  with  him,  and,  when  on 
one  day  he  complained  of  cold  hands,  she  had 
been  ordered  to  knit  cuffs  for  him,  and  had  done 
so  with  apparent  pleasure — then  she  had  learned 
to  play  chess  in  order  to  take  Biedermann's 
place  when  he  could  not  come,  and  had  to  sub- 
mit to  be  checkmated  as  often  as  Hamilton 
pleased  without  losing  her  temper.  He  had  in- 
sensibly grown  tyrannical,  too — upbraided  her  if 
she  remained  long  out  walking — refused  to  eat 
his  dinner  if  she  did  not  bring  it  to  him,  and  in- 
sisted on  the  whole  family  spending  the  evenings 
in  his  room,  thereby  effectually  preventing  her 
from  going  to  the  Hoffmanns. 

Among  Hamilton's  most  constant  visitors  was 
Madame  Berger,  and  she  was  always  welcome, 
for  she  amused  him.  "  I  should  like  to  know," 
she  said  one  day,  seating  herself  on  the  sofa 
beside  him,  "  I  should  like  to  know  how  long  you 
intend  to  play  invalid  ?  It  is  astonishing  how 
desponding,  almost  pusillanimous,  you  men  be- 
come when  you  are  in  the  least  ill  !  I  lose  all 
patience  when  I  see  the  Doctor  feeling  his  own 
pulse  fifty  times  a  day,  and  consulting  half  a 
dozen  good  friends  if  his  heart  beat  a  little 
quicker  than  usual — while  I  have  palpitations 
every  day  of  my  life,  and  never  think  of  com- 
plaining or  fancying  that  I  have  a  diseased  heart ! 
My  father  was  even  worse  than  the  Doctor  ;  if 
he  had  but  a  cold  in  his  head,  he  immediately 
mounted  a  black  silk  night-cap  with  a  tassel  pen- 


14  Gbe  flnitials. 


dant,  wrapped  himself  up  in  his  dressing-gown, 
and  wandered  about  the  house  discovering  all 
sorts  of  things  not  intended  for  his  eyes  or  ears, 
and  finding  fault  with  everybody  and  everything 
that  came  in  his  way,  although  at  other  times  the 
best-natured  man  imaginable.  He  had  a  habit, 
too,  on  such  occasions,  of  eating  a  bowl  of  soup 
every  half  hour,  and  then  imagining  it  was  ill- 
ness which  prevented  him  from  enjoying  his 
meals  ! " 

Hamilton  laughed,  and  at  the  same  moment 
Hildegarde  entered  the  room,  carrying  a  tray,  on 
which  was  placed  a  double-handled  china  basin, 
the  contents  of  which,  notwithstanding  the  cover, 
emitted  a  most  savoury  odour  ;  the  little  slice  of 
toasted  bread  on  a  plate  beside  it  seeming  in- 
tended to  correct  any  doubts  which  might  arise 
as  to  its  being  an  invalid  soup.  She  placed  it  on 
the  table  before  him,  removed  the  cover,  and 
stood  in  waiting,  as  he  first  played  with  the  spoon, 
and  then  fastidiously  tasted  it. 

"  You  have  not  prepared  this  forme  yourself," 
he  said,  looking  up  discontentedly. 

"  No,"  she  replied  ;  "  I — I  heard  papa's  voice, 
and  begged  Walburg  to " 

"  I  knew  that,"  cried  Hamilton,  pettishly. 
"  Walburg  always  forgets  the  salt.  Just  taste  it 
yourself,  and  you  will  be  convinced  that  I  cannot 
swallow  it  in  its  present  state." 

"Let  me  try  it,"  cried  Madame  Berger  ;  "I 
am  an  excellent  judge  of  soup,  have  learned 


(Berman  Soup.  15 

cookery,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  Let  me  see," 
said  she,  playing  with  the  spoon  exactly  as  Ham- 
ilton had  done  ;  "  let  me  see  ;  the  smell  is  excel- 
lent, but  the  taste  ? — hum  !  might  require  a 
little  more  salt,  perhaps,  but — but  still  it  is 
eatable.  After  a  few  spoonfuls  one  scarcely 
remarks  the  defect — and,"  she  continued,  raising 
the  bowl  to  her  mouth,  "  and  when  one  swallows 
it  quickly,  it  is  really  quite  refreshing  this  cold 
afternoon." 

Hamilton  laughed  ;  Hildegarde  grew  angry. 
"  You  may  consider  this  a  good  joke,  Lina,"  she 
exclaimed,"  but  I  find  it  very,  very  impertinent." 

"  Now  don't  get  into  a  passion,  my  dear,  about 
a  miserable  bowl  of  soup,"  said  Madame  Berger, 
laughing  maliciously  ;  "  it  is  really  not  worth 
while.  Just  go  to  the  kitchen  and  bring  another, 
and  I  promise  not  even  to  look  at  it." 

"  But  there  is  no  more." 

"  Ah,  bah  !  as  if  I  did  not  know  that  there 
was  soup  put  aside  for  supper." 

"  But  not  such  soup  as  that,"  cried  Hildegarde, 
ingenuously  ;  "  mamma  and  Crescenz  cooked  it 
together,  and  I  was  not  allowed  to  touch  it  for 
fear  of  its  being  spoiled." 

"  What  an  opinion  they  must  have  of  her 
cookery,"  remarked  Madame  Berger,  looking 
towards  Hamilton. 

"  It  is  of  no  consequence,"  he  said,  laughing  ; 
"  I  do  not  deserve  any  for  having  been  so  diffi- 
cult to  please." 


16  Cbe  ffnittate. 


"I  can  bring  you  a  cup  of  beef-tea  —  it  is 
better  than  nothing,"  said  Hildegarde,  leaving 
the  room. 

"  Most  careful  nurse  !  "  cried  Madame  Berger, 
smiling  ironically. 

"  Most  indefatigable — most  kind,"  exclaimed 
Hamilton,  warmly. 

"  And  most  domineering,"  added  Madame 
Berger. 

"  I  have  not  found  her  so." 

"  Because  you  have  never  contradicted  her, 
perhaps.  For  instance,  what  would  you  take 
now  to  refuse  this  cup  of  beef-tea  when  she 
brings  it  to  you  ?  " 

"  That  would  be  ungrateful — almost  rude," 
said  Hamilton. 

"  It  will  be  bad  enough  to  afford  you  an 
excuse,  and  I  promise  to  assist  you  to  brave  her 
anger,"  said  Madame  Berger,  laughing. 

Hamilton  shook  his  head  and  looked  a  little 
embarrassed. 

"  Tell  the  truth,  and  say  at  once  you  dare  not 
do  it.  She  rules  you,  I  perceive,  as  she  does  her 
sister  Crescenz,  all  in  the  way  of  kindness,  but 
no  thraldom  can  be  more  complete.  How  I 
shall  enjoy  seeing  you  swallow  the  scalding 
water  dignified  with  the  name  of  beef-tea.  I 
dare  say  this  time  there  will  be  salt  enough  in 
it." 

"  How  mischievous  you  are,"  cried  Hamilton  ; 
"  I  do  believe  you  want  us  to  quarrel  merely  for 


<5erman  Soup.  17 


your  amusement,  after  having  remained  for  three 
weeks  the  best  of  friends  possible." 

"  You  are  more  than  friends  if  you  cannot  take 
the  liberty  to  refuse  a  cup  of  bad  soup." 

Hamilton  was  about  to  reply,  when  the  door 
was  opened  by  Hans  to  admit  Count  Zedwitz. 

"You  have  played  truant  to-day,  Zedwitz," 
said  Hamilton,  holding  out  his  hand  ;  "  I  ex- 
pected you  an  hour  ago." 

"  I  have  been  skating  on  the  lake  in  the  Eng- 
lish Garden.  There  was  a  famous  frost  last 
night,  and " 

"  Skating  !  Here,  Hans,  look  for  my  skates 
directly,  there  is  nothing  I  enjoy  more  than 
skating.  We  will  go  out  together." 

"  But,"  said  Zedwitz,  hesitating,  "  is  it  advis- 
able to  go  out  so  late  ?  Remember,  you  have 
been  more  than  three  weeks  confined  to  the 
house.  What  will  the  Doctor  say  ? " 

"  Hang  the  Doctor,"  cried  Hamilton,  rising. 

"  I  am  sure  I  am  exceedingly  obliged  to  you," 
said  his  wife,  pretending  to  look  offended. 

"  By  way  of  precaution,  and  not  to  lose  time, 
we  will  drive  to  the  lake  in  a  hackney  coach," 
said  Hamilton.  "  Come  with  us,"  he  added, 
turning  cavalierly  to  Madame  Berger. 

"  I  have  no  objection,  provided  you  leave  me 
at  home  on  your  way  back." 

"  Agreed,"  cried  Hamilton,  entering  his  bed- 
room to  make  the  necessary  change  in  his  dress. 

Madame  Berger  was  standing  opposite  a  long 

VOL.  ii.— a 


i8  Gbe  Initials. 


glass,  arranging  her  bonnet,  Zedwitz  turning 
over  the  leaves  of  some  new  book,  and  Hamilton 
issuing  from  his  room,  when  Hildegarde  again 
appeared,  carrying  another  bowl  of  soup.  She 
was  so  surprised  at  the  appearance  of  the  latter 
that  she  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and 
looked  inquiringly  from  one  to  the  other  without 
speaking. 

"Mr.  Hamilton  is  going  out  to  take  a  drive," 
began  Madame  Berger,  fearing  Hildegarde 
might  try  to  make  him  alter  his  intention. 

"  I  am  going  with  Zedwitz  to  skate  in  the 
English  Gardens,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  Perhaps,  Hildegarde,  you  will  go  with  us  ;  I 
can  play  chaperone  on  the  occasion,"  said  Mad- 
ame Berger. 

Hildegarde  did  not  vouchsafe  an  answer,  but 
turning  to  Zedwitz,  she  said  reproachfully : 
"  This  is  not  an  hour  to  tempt  an  invalid  to 
leave  the  house  for  the  first  time." 

"  I  assure  you  I  have  not  tempted  him,"  re- 
plied Zedwitz  ;  "  I  only  mentioned  having  been 
skating  to  excuse  my  coming  so  late." 

"  You  surely  will  not  think  of  going  out  this 
cold  day  ?  "  she  said,  turning  to  Hamilton. 

"  The  weather,"  said  Madame  Berger,  "  is  not 
likely  to  grow  warmer  at  this  time  of  the  year, 
and  I  suppose  he  must  leave  the  house  some  time 
or  other." 

"  In  fact,  I  am  no  longer  an  invalid,"  said  Hamil- 
ton, "and  the  air,  though  cold,  will  do  me  good," 


(Serman  Soup. 


"  At  least  drink  this  beef-tea  before  you  go," 
said  Hildegarde,  approaching  him. 

"  How  on  earth  can  you  expect  Mr.  Hamilton 
to  swallow  such  slop  as  this  !  "  cried  Madame 
Berger,  raising  the  cover  as  she  spoke. 

Hildegarde  angrily  pushed  away  her  hand. 

"The  carriage  is  at  the  door,"  said  Hans. 

"  Come,"  cried  Madame  Berger,  laughing, 
"  you  have  no  time  to  drink  this  hot  water  at 
present,  and  if  you  do  not  make  haste  I  must 
decline  going  with  you  to  admire  your  skating, 
for  it  will  be  too  late  for  me.  Have  you  cour- 
age ?  "  she  asked,  giving  Hamilton  a  look  of  in- 
telligence. 

Hildegarde  had  perceived  that  he  wished  to 
avoid  drinking  the  beef-tea.  She  had  placed  it 
on  the  table,  and  was  now  standing  near  the 
stove  apparently  tranquil,  but  a  slight  contraction 
of  her  brows,  and  the  extraordinary  brilliancy  of 
her  eyes  as  she  followed  the  motions  of  each 
speaker,  betrayed  the  anger  with  which  she  was 
struggling. 

"  I  perceive  you  are  annoyed,"  said  Zedwitz, 
when  about  to  leave  the  room  ;  "  but,"  he  added, 
quickly,  while  the  colour  mounted  to  his  tem- 
ples, "you  need  not  be  uneasy  about  your  pa- 
tient ;  I  will  bring  him  back  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  You  are  mistaken  as  to  the  cause  of  my 
annoyance,"  said  Hildegarde,  with  a  forced 
smile  ;  "  I  am  angry  with  myself  for  having 
been  such  a  fool  as  to  prepare  that  soup." 


20  Cbe  Umtials. 


"  You  must  excuse  Hamilton  this  time.  Mad- 
ame Berger  is  such  an  impertinent  little  person! '' 
said  Zedwitz,  as  he  closed  the  door. 

In  the  meantime  Hamilton  had  nearly  de- 
scended the  stairs.  "  I  can  tell  you,"  said  Madame 
Berger,  "  that  Hildegarde  is  in  a  towering  pas- 
sion. Did  you  not  see  her  eyes  flashing,  and 
her  lips  grow  blue  ?  I  should  not  wonder  if  at 
this  moment  she  were  literally  dancing  in  your 
room  !  " 

"  I  should  like  to  see  her,"  said  Hamilton, 
stopping  suddenly. 

"  But  if  you  go  back  you  will  have  to  swallow 
the  soup  as  a  peace-offering,"  said  Madame 
Berger. 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  Zedwitz,  will  you  assist 
Madame  Berger  into  the  carriage  ? — I  must 
return  to  Hildegarde  ;  but  I  promise  not  to 
detain  you  more  than  a  minute."  He  rushed  up 
the  stairs  as  he  spoke,  entered  without  noise  by 
means  of  his  skeleton  key,  and,  passing  through 
his  bedroom,  was  able  to  ascertain  the  partial 
truth  of  Madame  Berger's  assertion.  Hildegarde 
was  walking  up  and  down  the  room  with  flushed 
cheeks,  talking  angrily  to  herself,  and  pushing 
everything  that  came  in  her  way.  "  What  a  fool 
— what  an  egregious  fool  I  was — to  make  a  fire 
with  my  own  hands  to  warm  that  soup  !  "  She 
kicked  the  leg  of  the  table  as  she  spoke,  making 
the  plates  and  spoons  clatter.  "  If  ever  I  warm 
soup  for  him  again  I  hope,  yes,  I  hope,  I  may 


(Berman  Soup.  21 


burn  my  arm  as  I  have  done  this  time."  She 
raised  her  sleeve  and  looked  frowningly  at  the 
suffering  limb,  which  in  fact  was  extremely  red 
and  covered  with  blisters.  While  she  endeav- 
oured with  her  handkerchief  to  remove  the  long 
streaks  of  smut  which  still  bore  testimony  to  the 
origin  of  the  mischief,  Hamilton  advanced  ;  and, 
scarcely  conscious  of  what  he  was  doing,  seized 
her  hand,  and  held  it  firmly,  while  he  gulped  down 
the  soup  as  fast  as  he  was  able.  It  was,  as  Mad- 
ame Berger  had  said,  very  hot ;  and  when  he  had 
deposited  the  bowl  on  the  plate,  tears  actually 
stood  in  his  eyes  from  the  excess  of  his  exertions." 

"  I  feel  quite  warm  now,"  he  said,  turning  to 
Hildegarde,  who  stood  beside  him  in  great  con- 
fusion, fearing  that  she  had  been  overheard,  and, 
as  usual,  ashamed  of  her  violence,  now  that  it 
was  over.  She  had  covered  her  arm,  and  was 
endeavouring  to  release  her  hand,  as  he  added, 
"  You  were  quite  right  when  you  said  it  was  too 
late  for  skating  to-day.  I  shall  merely  drive  out 
for  half-an-hour,  by  way  of  a  beginning.  This 
sacrifice  I  make  to  your  better  judgment." 

Hildegarde  looked  up  ;  her  lips  were  no  longer 
blue,  and  her  eyes  had  regained  their  usual 
serenity.  "  To-morrow,"  she  observed,  with 
evident  satisfaction,  "  to-morrow  you  can  go  out 
directly  after  dinner,  when  the  sun  is  shining." 

"  Exactly  ;  pray  don't  forget  to  bespeak  a  little 
sunshine  for  me,"  he  cried,  laughing,  as  he  ran 
out  of  the  room. 


22  Gbe  flnitfals. 


"  Where  is  my  little  tormentor  ?  "  he  asked,  on 
perceiving  that  the  carriage  was  unoccupied. 

"  How  could  you  expect  her  to  wait  for  you  ?  " 
said  Zedwitz,  gravely.  She  has  had  the  good 
sense  to  go  home." 

"  I  am  glad  of  it,"  cried  Hamilton,  springing 
gayly  into  the  carriage,  "  very  glad." 

"  It  is  confoundedly  cold,"  said  Zedwitz,  im- 
patiently throwing  the  folds  of  his  cloak  over 
his  shoulder.  "  I  must  say  your  minute  was  a 
long  one." 

"  Why,  my  dear  fellow,  considering  that  I  had 
to  drink  all  that  hot  water,  and  put  Hildegarde 
in  good  humour  again,  I  do  not  think  I  required 
much  time." 

Zedwitz  looked  out  of  the  window  in  silence. 
Hamilton  leaned  back  and  indulged  in  reflection 
of  no  disagreeable  kind. 

"  Halt  !  "  cried  Zedwitz,  suddenly,  "  we  are  at 
the  lake." 

"  Let  us  drive  on.  I  don't  mean  to  skate  to- 
day," said  Hamilton. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  skate  !  "  exclaimed  Zed- 
witz. 

"  No.  I  promised  Hildegarde  merely  to  take 
an  airing." 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  that  before  ? " 

"  Because  I  feared  being  deprived  of  your 
agreeable  society." 

"  Halt  !  "  cried  Zedwitz,  vehemently  ;  and  the 
carriage  stopped.  "  I  can  tell  you,"  he  said, 


German  Soup.  23 


kicking  the  door  to  assist  Hans  in  opening  it,  "  I 
can  tell  you  that  you  have  just  received  an  ex- 
tremely great  proof  of  my  friendship,  for  if  there 
be  any  one  thing  I  particularly  detest  in  this 
world,  it  is  driving  about  in  a  machine  of  this 
kind.  I  have  an  inveterate  antipathy  to  a  hack- 
ney coach." 

"  I  understand  and  share  your  feelings  on  this 
subject,  generally  speaking,"  said  Hamilton, 
amused  at  his  violence  ;  "  but  after  being  con- 
fined to  one's  room  for  three  or  four  weeks,  the 
air  enjoyed  even  through  the  windows  of  a  hack- 
ney-coach is  agreeable  and  refreshing.  Come, 
you  may  as  well  drive  back  with  me." 

"  Sorry,  I  have  a  most  particular  engagement," 
began  Zedwitz,  who  was  now  standing  on  the 
road,  and  stamping  his  feet  on  the  frozen  ground, 
as  if  they  had  been  cramped. 

"  You  forget  you  intended  to  skate  with  me," 
cried  Hamilton,  laughing,  while  he  jumped  out 
of  the  carriage,  took  Zedwitz's  arm,  and  walked 
off  quickly  with  him,  neither  speaking  for  several 
minutes. 

"  Are  you  jealous  ? "  asked  Hamilton,  at  length. 

"  You  know  best  whether  or  not  I  have  cause 
to  be." 

"You  have  no  cause — although  I  am  sorry 
to  be  obliged  to  confess  to  you  that  I  too 
begin  to  find  Hildegarde  altogether  irresistible, 
but  she  does  not  care  in  the  least  for  me,  and 
even  were  it  otherwise,  my  case  is  more  hopeless 


24  Gbe  Initials. 


than  yours.  Your  parents  will  at  least  vouchsafe 
to  make  a  flattering  opposition,  which,  as  you  are 
an  only  son,  must  terminate  in  consent  if  you  are 
firm — mine  would  overwhelm  me  with  scornful 
ridicule  were  I  to  hint  at  anything  so  preposter- 
ous as  an  early  marriage.  It  is  I,  in  fact,  who 
ought  to  be  jealous,  and  desperately  jealous  too, 
if  you  knew  but  all." 

"  But  her  anxiety  about  you  just  now " 

"Was  more  natural  than  flattering,"  said 
Hamilton  ;  "  she  has  got  the  habit  of  taking  care 
of  me  during  my  illness,  and  even  lately  exacts  a 
sort  of  obedience  in  trifles,  which,  however,  I 
willingly  pay,  as  she  allows  me  to  tyrannise  in 
in  other  respects." 

"  But  still,  I  consider  you  so  very  dangerous 
a  rival — — "  began  Zedwitz. 

"  By  no  means,  for  though  I  wish  to  gain  some 
of  Hildegarde's  esteem,  if  not  affection,  I  can 
never  speak  to  her  seriously  on  that  subject  which 
alone  could  interfere  with  your  wishes." 

"  Do  you  advise  me  then  to  persevere  ?  "  asked 
Zedwitz. 

"  I  must  in  future  decline  advising,"  replied 
Hamilton  ;  "  my  confession  just  now  was  in  fact 
tantamount  to  an  acknowledgment  of  my  inca- 
pacity to  do  so." 

"  Ah,  bah  !  "  cried  Zedwitz,  "  your  manner 
has  convinced  me  that  your  love  is  not  very  deep- 
rooted — my  fears  are  more  for  her  than  for 
you.  If  she  once  liked  you,  and  confessed  it, 


(Berman  Soup.  25 


there  is  no  saying  how  serious  the  affair  might 
become." 

"  Very  true,"  said  Hamilton,  "  you  might  in 
that  case  prepare  for  a  voyage  to  the  moon, 
where  you  would  be  sure  to  find  my  senses  in  a 
little  phial,  nicely  corked  and  labelled." 

"  Pshaw  !  Tell  me  seriously,  what  would  you 
do  in  such  a  case  ?  " 

"  Seriously — I  believe  I  should  act  like  a  fool. 
Apply  to  my  father  with  the  certainty  of  being 
refused,  and  laughed  at  into  the  bargain — write 
to  my  Uncle  Jack,  that  he  might  have  time  to 
make  a  new  will  and  disinherit  me — and  then, 
perhaps,  enter  into  a  seven  years'  engagement." 

"  Hildegarde  would  never  consent  to  anything 
so  absurd." 

"  Not  at  present — but  I  thought  you  supposed 
her  to  return  my " 

"  Hang  the  supposition  !  "  cried  Zedwitz,  im- 
patiently, and  they  walked  on  in  silence  until 
Zedwitz  again  spoke  :  "  I  wish,  Hamilton,  that 
'at  least  you  would  promise  to  tell  me  if  ever  you 
do  enter  into  any  land  of  engagement  with  Hil- 
degarde." 

"No,"  said  Hamilton,  firmly,  "I  will  make  no 
such  promise.  Let  us  start  fair,  we  both  love 
her,  each  after  his  own  manner.  I  will  be  hon- 
ourable, and  tell  you  that  you  stand  high  in  her 
estimation,  and  that  the  fear  of  the  opposition  of 
your  family,  and  not  indifference  on  her  part, 
caused  her  former  refusal.  I  have  had  to  com- 


26  (Tbe  initials. 


bat  with  her  personal  dislike,  and  if  I  have  over- 
come it,  a  very  lukewarm  kind  of  regard  has 
taken  place.  To  counterbalance  your  advan- 
tages, I  live  in  the  same  house,  and  see  her  daily 
— hourly — often  alone." 

"  Let  us  start  fair  in  good  earnest,"  cried  Zed- 
witz,  eagerly,  "  but  in  order  to  do  so,  you  must 
establish  yourself  in  my  quarters.  The  rooms 
which  belong  to  my  father  when  he  is  in  town  are 
at  your  service  ;  neither  he  nor  my  mother  comes 
to  Munich  this  season,  as  Agnes's  marriage  takes 
place  before  the  carnival.  We  will  live  together 
— visit  the  Rosenbergs  together,  and  at  the  end 
of  two  or  three  months  write  a  letter  to  Hilde- 
garde,  and " 

Hamilton  began  to  laugh.  "  Had  you  pro- 
posed this  plan  at  Seon,  I  might  have  agreed  to 
it — but  now  it  would  be  absurd  to  think  of  such  a 
thing.  Putting  all  other  feelings  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, Hildegarde  has  become  absolutely  necessary 
to  me.  When  I  am  ill,  she  tends  me — when  I  am 
well,  she  reads  with  me,  or  for  me,  and  amuses 
me  ;  and  when  I  am  out  of  temper,  she  quarrels 
with  me  ! " 

"  In  the  last  particular  I  could  supply  her 
place,"  said  Zedwitz,  "  for  I  could  quarrel  with 
you  easily  enough.  If  I  thought  you  really  loved 
her,  I  should  not  so  much  mind,  but  you  are  de- 
liberately seeking  a  few  months'  amusement  at 
her  expense,  and  endeavouring  to  gain  her  affec- 
tion without  any  object  whatever  ;  for  as  to  your 


(Berman  Soup.  27 


seven  years'  engagement,  I  cannot  for  a  moment 
believe  you  serious.  Perhaps  -Englishwomen 
may  consider  this  pardonable,  but  my  country- 
women  " 

"  Your  countrywomen  unfortunately  do  not 
understand  the  meaning  of  the  word  flirtation," 
said  Hamilton,  interrupting  him.  "  I  wish  I 
had  time  and  opportunity  to  explain  it  to  them." 

"  Explain  to  me  what  flirtation  is,"  said  Zed- 
witz,  gravely. 

"  No,"  said  Hamilton, "  I  shall  do  no  such 
thing,  for  I  see  by  your  face  that  you  are  ready 
to  preach  a  sermon  upon  the  crime  of  endeavour- 
ing to  please  any  of  your  fair  countrywomen 
without  having  both  the  intention  and  power  to 
marry  with  all  possible  despatch  ;  and  now,  will 
you  come  upstairs  with  me  ?  " 

Zedwitz  shook  his  head. 

"  I  do  not  mean  to  press  you,"  said  Hamilton, 
"  for  I  must  say  I  never  found  you  less  amusing 
than  to-day.  I  wish  you  would  make  an  agree- 
ment never  to  mention  Hildegarde's  name  to 
me." 

"  It  is  an  excellent  idea,"  said  Zedwitz,  "  but, 
as  I  am  sincerely  attached  to  her,  I  hope  you 
will  consider  it  no  breach  of  confidence, 
should  I  warn  her  against  this  flirtation  love  of 
yours." 

"  None  whatever,"  replied  Hamilton,  laughing. 
"  You  cannot  say  more  and  will  not  probably  say 
half  as  much  in  your  warning  as  I  have  al- 


28  ftbe  Ifnitials. 


ready  said,  when  she  was  present,  to  her  sister 
Crescenz." 

"  You  are  incomprehensible,"  said  Zedwitz, 
shrugging  his  shoulders,  and  walking  off  with  a. 
slight  frown  on  his  usually  good-humoured  coun- 
tenance. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE    WARNING. 

TTAMILTON  prided  himself  upon  being  an 
*  *•  excellent  skater  ;  it  was,  therefore,  with  no 
little  satisfaction  that  he  perceived,  the  next  day, 
that  he  had  been  followed  to  the  lake  by  the 
Rosenberg  and  Hoffmann  families — no  sooner, 
however,  had  Zedwitz  seen  the  former,  than  his 
skates  were  thrown  aside — a  place  beside  Hilde- 
garde  secured,  and  he  accompanied  them  home. 
This  occurred  several  days  successively,  and 
Zedwitz  at  length,  on  finding  that  he  had  regained 
his  former  intimacy,  ventured  to  give  the  pro- 
posed warning.  Hamilton  was  at  the  moment 
sweeping  before  them,  "  on  sounding  skates  a 
thousand  different  ways,"  and  exhibiting  more 
than  usual  grace  and  animation.  Zedwitz  began 
judiciously  by  praising  his  rival — commended 
his  person,  his  varied  information  and  talents, 
the  more  extraordinary  from  his  extreme  youth, 
and  then  regretted  that  he  had  lost  almost  all  the 
freshness  belonging  to  his  time  of  life,  that  his 


Gbe  TWarnfng.  29 


ideas  were  altogether  those  of  a  man  of  the 
world,  that  the  society  of  an  elder  brother, 
an  accomplished  vaurien,  had  evidently  been 
of  great  disadvantage  to  him,  and  had  given 
him  opinions,  especially  with  respect  to 
women,  which  were  dangerous  in  the  extreme. 
Hildegarde  had  listened  with  a  composure  so 
nearly  verging  on  indifference,  that  Zedwitz,  al- 
most reassured,  regretted  having  said  so  much, 
and  had  she  continued  silent,  would  have,  per- 
haps, softened  his  last  remark,  but  she  looked  up 
suddenly,  and  said  with  her  usual  energy,  "  Mr. 
Hamilton  has  never  spoken  of  his  brother  to  me, 
therefore  I  know  nothing  about  him.  You  are, 
however,  mistaken  as  to  his  opinion  of  women — 
he  thinks  much  more  highly  of  them  than  men 
generally  do,  and  that  he  likes  their  society  is 
evident  by  his  remaining  so  much  at  home  with 
us.  Mamma  says  she  never  knew  any  young 
man  so  perfectly  well-educated,  and  so  excellent 
in  every  respect." 

Zedwitz  was  not  aware  of  the  peculiarity  in 
Hildegarde's  disposition  which  led  her  invariably 
to  defend  the  absent ;  he  was,  therefore,  greatly 
vexed,  and  with  difficulty  stammered,  "  And  you 
— you — perhaps — think  equally  highly  of  him  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  do — the  more  I  know  him,  the 
better  I  like  him,"  replied  Hildegarde,  bluntly. 

"  I  am  answered,"  murmured  Zedwitz,  biting 
his  lip,  "  my  warning  comes  too  late — he  knew  it 
when  he  gave  me  leave  to  speak." 


30  Cbe  Unitfate. 


"  Who  gave  you  leave  ?  What  warning  ?  * 
asked  Hildegarde,  quickly. 

Zedwitz  had  gone  too  far  to  recede,  and  he 
now  became  perfectly  explicit.  Hildegarde 
again  listened  calmly,  and  when  he  ceased,  ob- 
served half  reproachfully,  "  When  Mr.  Hamilton 
speaks  of  you,  it  is  not  to  warn  me — but  let  us 
pass  over  that.  I  must,  however,  tell  you  that 
you  have  not  in  your  warning  said  anything 
which  I  have  not  already  heard  from  him- 
self." 

"  That 's  it !  "  cried  Zedwitz,  with  ill-concealed 
impatience,  "  he  acted  honourably  in  putting  you 
on  your  guard,  but  he  now  considers  himself  at 
liberty  to  win  your  affections  if  he  can  !  " 

Hildegarde  seemed  struck  by  this  remark,  and 
walked  on  in  silence.  Zedwitz  excused  himself 
for  having  spoken  against  his  friend  on  the  plea 
of  jealousy,  and  then  urged  his  own  cause  with 
great  fervour.  While  thus  speaking,  they  had 
taken  a  wrong  turn,  and  were  loudly  recalled  by 
Madame  Rosenberg,  "  who  wondered  what  on 
earth  they  could  have  been  thinking  about  !  " 
Zedwitz  had  no  opportunity  of  renewing  the  con- 
versation, but  he  was  apparently  satisfied  on 
finding  that  she  was  not  displeased. 

When  Hamilton  returned  home  that  evening, 
Hildegarde  was  at  the  Hoffmann's  ;  she  had  not 
visited  them  for  a  long  time,  and  on  her  return, 
he  inquired  with  extreme  affability  after  each 
member  of  the  family,  cousin  Oscar  included. 


Gbe  Warning.  31 


She  seated  herself  as  far  distant  from  him  as 
possible,  and  while  answering  his  questions 
seemed  to  think  more  of  a  coloured  wool,  which 
she  was  arranging  in  a  basket,  than  of  what  she 
was  saying. 

"  Did  your  cousin  read  for  you  this  evening  ?" 
asked  Hamilton,  moving  his  chair  towards  her. 

"  No,  he  tried  a  quantity  of  new  music  which 
Marie  had  just  received.  Crescenz,  do  tell  me 
how  you  distinguish  your  greens  at  night  ?  They 
all  appear  blue  to  me  !  " 

"  The  names  and  numbers  are  pinned  on  each 
colour,"  replied  Crescenz,  pushing  forward  her 
neatly  arranged  basket  for  inspection. 

Major  Stultz  said  something  about  young 
women  of  orderly  habits  making  good  wives, 
which  she  did  not  seem  to  hear,  but  when  Ham- 
ilton in  returning  the  basket  observed,  that  the 
colours  were  so  judiciously  arranged,  that  they 
reminded  him  of  a  rainbow,  a  smile  of  childish 
delight  brightened  her  youthful  features  and 
made  her  look  so  pretty,  that  he  playfully  held 
back  the  basket,  and  began  a  series  of  questions 
on  the  different  colours,  exhibiting  an  excess  of 
ignorance  on  the  subject  which  seemed  to  amuse 
her  infinitely  more  than  Major  Stultz,  who  first 
drummed  on  the  table,  then  pushed  back  his 
chair,  and  finally  told  her  somewhat  testily,  that 
"  she  was  preventing  Mr.  Hamilton  from  reading 
his  newspaper." 

Hamilton  understood  the   hint,  and    resigned 


32  Gbe  Unittals. 


the  basket  with  a  slight  laugh  ;  Crescenz  blushed, 
and,  with  evident  displeasure,  followed  Major 
Stultz  to  another  table,  where  he  proposed  read- 
ing her  the  letters  which  he  had  that  day 
received  from  Nuremberg. 

Hamilton  drew  his  chair  close  to  Hildegarde's, 
while  he  observed,  "  I  am  very  glad  that  you 
have  no  one  who  has  a  right  to  forbid  your  speak- 
ing to  me." 

Hildegarde  bent  over  her  work  for  a  minute, 
and  then  looking  up  asked  abruptly,  "  What  sort 
of  a  person  is  your  eldest  brother  ?  " 

"  The  best-natured  fellow  in  the  world,  good- 
looking,  and  amusing.  You  would  be  sure  to 
like  him,  if  you  could  pardon  his  speaking  the 
most  execrable  French  imaginable." 

"  Is  he  amiable  ? " 

"  Amiable  ?  oh,  very  amiable  !  " 

"  And  not  a  vaurien  ?  " 

"  Tant  soitpeu"  said  Hamilton,  laughing,  "  but 
not  half  so  bad  as  your  cousin  Raimund." 

"  Is  he  much  older  than  you  ?  " 

"  Several  years  ;  but  may  I  ask  why  my  brother 
has  so  suddenly  become  an  object  of  interest  to 
you  ? " 

"  He  does  not  interest  me  in  the  least,"  began 
Hildegarde,  but  at  that  moment,  Hamilton, 
whose  hand  had  been  wandering  through  the 
entangled  skeins  of  wool  in  her  basket,  suddenly 
drew  forth  a  small  book  which  had  been  con- 
cealed beneath  them  ;  her  first  impulse  was  to 


Warning.  33 


prevent  his  opening  it,  but  she  changed  her  mind, 
and  though  blushing  deeply,  continued  to  work 
without  uttering  a  syllable. 

Hamilton  turned  over  the  leaves  for  some 
minutes  in  silence.  "  Who  recommended  you  to 
read  the  works  of  Georges  Sand  ? "  he  asked,  as 
he  placed  the  book  beside  her  on  the  table. 

"  Oscar  ;  he  told  me  they  were  interesting,  and 
extremely  well  written." 

"  They  are  both  the  one  and  the  other,  and 
yet  nothing  would  have  induced  me  to  advise 
you  to  read  them,  especially  this  volume.  I  am 
surprised  you  did  not  yourself  perceive  that  it 
was  not  suited  for  a  person  of  your  age  or " 

"  Pshaw ! "  cried  Hildegarde,  impatiently. 
"  Mamma  wishes  me  to  read  French  that  I  may 
not  forget  the  language  ;  the  best  writers  of  the 
day  are,  of  course,  the  best  for  that  purpose,  and 
Oscar  says  all  French  novels  are  more  or  less  of 
this  description.  He  told  me  that  I  need  not 
have  any  scruples,  for  that  these  works  were 
written  by  a  woman,  and  might  therefore  be  read 
by  one." 

"  So,  then,  you  had  scruples  ?  " 

"  I  have  none  at  present,"  said  Hildegarde, 
taking  up  the  volume,  "  besides,"  she  added, 
drawing  her  chair  close  to  the  table,  "  I  positively 
must  know  whether  or  not  the  heroine  marries 
the  young  poet." 

"  Marry  !  "  cried  Hamilton,  laughing,  ironi- 
cally, "  there  is  not  one  word  of  marriage  in  the 

VOL.  II.— 3 


34  £be  fnfttals. 


whole  book — that  would  be  much  too  unpoetical. 
I  can  hardly,  however,  imagine  that  this  heroine 
really  interests  you — a  heroine  whose  thoughts 
and  reasonings  are  those  of  a  woman  who  has 
plunged  into  the  whirlpool  of  earthly  pleasures, 
and  from  satiety  learned  to  despise  them.  I  wish 
it  were  any  of  the  other  works  of  Sand,  or — or 
that,  for  your  sake  Madame  Dudevant  had  been 
less  gloriously  graphical  in  some  parts  of  her 
work.  If,"  he  added,  half  inquiringly,  "  if  you 
merely  read  to  know  the  end  of  the  story,  it  is 
easily  told  ;  the  events  are  few,  and  I  am  ready 
to  relate  them  to  you." 

"  Oscar  has  a  much  higher  opinion  of  my  in- 
tellect than  you  have,"  observed  Hildegarde, 
slowly  turning  over  the  leaves  ;  "  he  says  my 
character  is  so  decidedly  formed,  that  I  may 
read,  without  danger,  whatever  I  please." 

"  That  was  gross  flattery,"  said  Hamilton,  "  for 
no  girl  of  seventeen  can  read  a  work  of  this  de- 
scription without  danger.  The  religious  specula- 
tions alone  make  it  unfit  for  you — but  stay,  I 
can  prove  it ;  read  half  a  dozen  pages  aloud  for 
me — where  you  please  ;  the  chances  are  in  my 
favour  that  I  prove  myself  right." 

"  It  is  not  exactly  adapted  for  reading  aloud," 
said  Hildegarde  with  some  embarrassment. 

"  That  is  an  infallible  criterion  by  which  you 
may  know  what  to  read  for  the  next  ten  years," 
said  Hamilton. 

"  But  I  dare  say  I  could  find  many  parts  which 
I  should  have  no  objection  to  read  aloud." 


ilbc  Struggle.  35 


"  Read  then,"  said  Hamilton,  with  a  provoking 
smile. 

Hildegarde  began.  "  The  style  at  least  is  fault- 
less," she  observed,  at  the  end  of  a  few  minutes. 

"  Perfect,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  but  go  on." 

She  continued.  By  degrees  her  voice  became 
less  firm  ;  a  deep  blush  overspread  her  face  ; 
she  turned  away  her  head  from  him,  and  his  eyes 
rested  on  her  small  and  now  perfectly  crimson 
ear,  and  yet  she  persevered  until  the  words 
almost  seemed  to  suffocate  her,  when,  throwing 
down  the  book,  she  exclaimed,  "  You  were  right. 
I  will  not  read  any  more  of  it,  nor  any  of  the 
others  recommended  by  Oscar." 

"  May  I  write  you  a  list  ?  "  asked  Hamilton, 
eagerly. 

"  Pray  do,"  cried  Hildegarde,  turning  round. 
"  I  promise  to  read  them  all." 

A  leaf  was  hastily  torn  out  of  his  pocket-book, 
a  pencil  carefully  pointed,  and  two  hours  scarcely 
sufficed  to  bring  this  most  simple  business  to  a 
satisfactory  conclusion,  so  various  were  the  obser- 
vations and  discussions  to  which  it  gave  rise. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE     STRUGGLE. 

following  Sunday  Hamilton  saw  the  whole 
Rosenberg  family,  with  the  exception  of 
Hildegarde,  walking  in  the  English  Gardens.  It 
appeared  odd  that  she  should  have  remained  at 


36  tfbe  "ffntttals. 


home  when  her  father  was  present,  and  he,  for  a 
moment,  thought  of  asking  the  reason  ;  on  con- 
sideration, the  hope  of  finding  her  alone  made 
him  turn  his  horse's  head  directly  homeward, 
and,  on  riding  into  the  yard,  he  looked  up  to 
her  window,  expecting,  as  usual,  to  find  her  there 
ready  to  greet  him  and  admire  his  horse — but 
not  a  human  being  was  visible  ;  even  his  servant, 
not  expecting  his  return  so  early,  had  disappeared, 
and  he  was  obliged  to  lead  his  horse  into  the 
stable  himself.  He  entered  the  house  by  the 
back  staircase,  visited  all  the  rooms,  and  even 
the  kitchen,  but  found  all  deserted.  Madame 
Rosenberg's  room  was  also  unoccupied,  but 
through  the  partly  open  door  of  it  he  saw  Hilde- 
garde  sitting  on  the  sofa  in  the  drawing-room, 
reading  so  intently  that  she  was  perfectly  uncon- 
scious of  his  presence.  The  deep  folds  of  her 
dark-blue  merino  dress,  with  its  closely-fitting 
body,  gave  a  more  than  usual  elegance  to  her 
tall,  slight  figure,  as  she  bent  in  profile  over  her 
book,  and  Hamilton  stood  in  silent  admiration, 
unconsciously  twisting  his  riding-whip  round  his 
wrist,  until  his  eyes  rested  for  the  second  time 
on  the  book  which  she  held  in  her  hand.  He 
started,  hesitated,  then  hastily  strode  forward 
and  stood  before  her.  Doubt  and  uncertainty 
were  still  depicted  on  his  countenance  as  Hilde- 
garde  looked  up  ;  but  her  dismay,  her  deep 
blush,  and  the  childish  action  of  placing  the 
hand  containing  the  volume  behind  her,  were  a 


tbc  Struggle.  37 


confirmation  of  his  fears  that  she  was  reading 
the  forbidden  work.  "  Excuse  me  for  inter- 
rupting you,"  he  said,  with  a  forced  smile  ;  "  but 
I  really  cannot  believe  the  evidence  of  my  own 
eyes,  and  must  request  you  to  let  me  look  at  that 
book  for  a  moment." 

"No,  you  shall  not,"  she  answered,  leaning 
back  on  the  sofa,  and  becoming  very  pale  while 
she  added,  "  It  is  very  disagreeable  being  startled 
and  interrupted  in  this  manner.  I  thought  you 
told  mamma  you  would  meet  her  at  Neuber- 
hausen." 

"  Very  true  ;  perhaps  I  may  meet  her  there  ; 
but  before  I  go  I  must  and  will  see  that  book. 
On  it  depends  my  future  opinion  of  you." 

"  You  shall  not  see  it,"  cried  Hildegarde,  the 
colour  again  returning  to  her  face. 

"  The  book,"  said  Hamilton,  seizing  firmly 
her  disengaged  hand.  "  The  book,  or  the  name 
of  it !  " 

"  Neither  ;  let  me  go  !  "  cried  Hildegarde, 
struggling  to  disengage  her  hand. 

Like  most  usually  quiet  tempered  persons, 
Hamilton,  when  once  actually  roused,  lost  all 
command  of  himself  ;  he  held  one  of  her  hands 
as  in  a  vice,  and,  when  she  brought  forward  the 
other  to  accelerate  its  release,  he  bent  down  to 
read  the  title  of  the  book,  which  was  immediately 
thrown  on  the  ground,  and  the  then  freed  hand 
descended  with  such  violence  on  his  cheek  and 
ear  that  for  a  moment  he  was  perfectly  stunned  ; 


38  tTbe  flnftiate. 


and,  even  after  he  stood  upright,  he  looked  at 
her  for  a  few  seconds  in  unfeigned  astonishment. 
"  Do  you  think,"  at  length  he  exclaimed  vehe- 
mently—"Do  you  think  that  I  will  allow  you 
to  treat  me  as  you  did  Major  Stultz,  with  impu- 
nity ?  "  And  then,  catching  her  in  his  arms,  he 
kissed  her  repeatedly,  and  with  a  violence  which 
seemed  to  terrify  her  beyond  measure.  "  I  gave 
you  fair  warning  more  than  once,"  he  added, 
when  at  length  he  had  released  her.  "  I  gave 
you  fair  warning,  and  you  knew  what  you  had  to 
expect."  She  covered  her  face  with  her  hands, 
and  burst  into  a  passion  of  tears. 

"  I  cannot  imagine,"  he  continued,  impetuously 
walking  up  and  down  the  room — "  I  cannot 
imagine  why  you  did  not,  with  your  usual  cour- 
age, tell  me  at  once  the  name  of  the  book,  and 
prevent  this  scene." 

Hildegarde  shook  her  head,  and  wept  still 
more  bitterly. 

"After  all,"  he  said,  seating  himself  with 
affected  calmness  opposite  to  her,  leaning  his 
arms  on  the  table,  and  drumming  upon  the  book, 
which  now  lay  undisputed  between  them,  "  After 
all,  you  are  not  better  than  other  people  !  Not 
more  to  be  trusted  than  other  girls,  and  I  fancied 
you  such  perfection  !  I  could  have  forgiven 
anything  but  the — the  untruth  !  "  he  exclaimed, 
starting  up.  "  Anything  but  that  !  Pshaw  ! 
yesterday  when  you  told  me  that  the  books  had 
been  sent  back  to  the  library,  I  believed  you 


Hbe  Struggle.  39 


without  a  moment's  hesitation — I  thanked  you 
for  your  deference  to  my  opinion — ha,  ha,  ha  ! 
What  a  fool  you  must  have  thought  me  !  " 

Hildegarde  looked  up.  All  expression  of 
humility  had  left  her  features,  her  tears  ceased 
to  flow,  and,  as  she  rose  to  leave  the  room,  she 
turned  almost  haughtily  towards  him,  while 
saying : 

"  I  really  do  not  know  what  right  you  have  to 
speak  to  me  in  this  manner.  I  consider  it  very 
great  presumption  on  your  part,  and  desire  it  may 
never  occur  again." 

"  You  may  be  quite  sure  I  shall  never  offend 
you  in  this  way  again,"  he  said  holding  the  book 
towards  her.  "  What  a  mere  farce  the  writing 
of  that  list  of  books  was  !  " 

"  No,  for  I  had  intended  to  have  read  all  you 
recommended." 

"  And  all  I  recommended  you  to  avoid,  too  ! 
This — this,  which  you  tacitly  promised  not  to 

finish "  He  stopped  ;  for,  while  she  took  the 

book  in  silence,  she  blushed  so  deeply,  and 
seemed  so  embarrassed,  that  he_  added  sorrow- 
fully, "  Oh,  how  I  regret  having  come  home  ! 
How  I  wish  I  had  not  discovered  that  you  could 
deceive  me  ! " 

"  I  have  not  deceived  you,"  said  Hildegarde. 

Hamilton  shook  his  head,  and  glanced  toward 
the  subject  of  dispute. 

"  Appearances  are  against  me,  and  yet  I  re- 
peat I  have  not  deceived  you.  The  books  were 


40  £be  fnitials. 


sent  to  the  library  yesterday  evening but 

too  late  to  be  changed.  Old  Hans  brought 
them  back  again,  and  I  found  them  in  my  room 
when  I  went  to  bed.  I  did  not  read  them  last 
night." 

"  But  you  stayed  at  home  for  the  purpose 
to-day,"  observed  Hamilton,  reproachfully. 

"  No ;  my  mother  gave  the  servants  leave  to 
go  out  for  the  whole  day,  and  as  she  did  not  like 
to  leave  the  house  unoccupied,  she  asked  me  to 
remain  at  home.  I,  of  course,  agreed  to"  do  so  ; 
without,  I  assure  you,  thinking  of  those  hateful 
books.  I  do  not  mean  to — I  cannot  justify  what 
I  have  done.  I  can  only  say  in  extenuation  that 
the  temptation  was  great.  I  have  been  alone  for 
more  than  two  hours — my  father's  books  are 
locked  up.  I  never  enter  your  room  when  you 
are  absent,  and  I  wished  to  know  the  end  of  the 
story  which  still  interests  and  haunts  me  in  spite 
of  all  my  endeavours  to  forget  it.  The  book  lay 
before  me  ;  I  resisted  long,  but  at  last  I  opened 
it  ;  and  so — and  so " 

"  And  so,  I  suppose,  I  must  acknowledge  that 
I  have  judged  you  too  harshly,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  I  do  not  care  about  your  judgment.  I  have 
fallen  in  my  own  esteem  since  I  find  that  I  can- 
not resist  temptation." 

"  And  is  my  good  opinion  of  no  value  to  you  ?  " 

"  It  was,  perhaps  ;  but  it  has  lost  all  worth 
within  the  last  half-hour." 

"  How  do  you  mean  ?" 


Gbe  Struggle.  41 


"  I  have  seen  you  in  the  course  of  that  time 
suspicious,  rough,  and  what  you  would  yourself 
call  ungentlemanlike." 

"  A  pretty  catalogue  of  faults  for  one  short 
half-hour  !  "  exclaimed  Hamilton,  biting  his  lips. 

"  You  were  the  last  person  from  whom  I  should 
have  expected  such  treatment,"  continued  Hil- 
degarde,  while  the  tears  started  to  her  eyes,  and 
her  voice  faltered,  "  the  very  last ;  and  though 
I  did  get  into  a  passion  and  give  you  a  blow,  it 
was  not  until  you  had  hurt  my  wrist  and  pro- 
voked me  beyond  endurance."  She  left  the  room 
and  walked  quickly  down  the  passage. 

"  Stay,"  cried  Hamilton,  following  her,  "  stay, 
and  hear  my  excuses." 

"  Excuses  !  You  have  not  even  one  to  offer," 
said  Hildegarde,  laying  her  hand  on  the  lock  of 
her  door. 

"  Hear  me  at  least,"  he  said  eagerly.  "  I  could 
not  endure  the  thought  of  your  being  one  jot  less 
perfect  than  I  had  imagined  you — that  made  me 
suspicious  ;  the  wish  for  proof  made  me  rough  ; 
and  though  I  cannot  exactly  justify  my  subse- 
quent conduct,  I  plead  in  extenuation  your  own 
words,  'the  temptation  was  great.'  ' 

Hildegarde's  dimples  showed  that  a  smile  was 
with  difficulty  repressed,  and  Hamilton,  taking 
courage,  whispered  hurriedly,  "  But  one  word 
more— hear  my  last  and  best  excuse  ;  it  is,  that  I 
love  you,  deeply,  passionately  ;  but  I  need  not 
tell  you  this,  for  you  must  have  known  it  long, 


42  £be  flnltials. 


long  ago.  Hildegarde,  say  only  that  our  per- 
petual quarrels  have  not  made  you  absolutely 
hate  me  ! " 

Hildegarde,  without  uttering  a  word  more,  im- 
petuously drew  back  her  hand,  sprang  into  her 
room,  and  locked  the  door.  He  waited  for  a 
minute  or  two,  and  then  knocked,  but  received 
no  answer.  "  Hildegarde,"  he  cried,  reproach- 
fully, "  Is  this  right — is  this  kind  ?  Even  if  you 
dislike  me,  I  have  a  right  to  expect  an  answer." 

"  Go,"  she  said,  in  a  very  low  voice;  "go 
away.  You  ought  not  to  be  here  when  I  am 
alone." 

"  Why  did  you  not  think  of  that  before  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.     I  had  not  time.     I " 

"  Nonsense.  Open  the  door,  and  let  me  speak 
to  you  for  a  moment." 

No  answer,  but  he  thought  he  heard  her  walk- 
ing up  and  down  the  room. 

"  Only  one  moment,"  he  repeated. 
"  I  cannot,  indeed  I  cannot.  Pray  go  away." 
He  retired  slowly  to  his  room  ;  even  before  he 
reached  it  he  had  become  conscious  of  the  ab- 
surdity of  his  conduct,  and  the  prudence  of  hers. 
That  she  no  longer  disliked  him,  he  was  pretty 
certain  ;  that  she  had  so  discreetly  avoided  a  con- 
fession of  other  feelings  was  better  for  both,  as 
it  enabled  them  to  continue  their  intercourse  on 
the  same  terms,  while  the  acknowledgment  of  a 
participation  in  his  affection  would  have  sub- 
jected her  to  great  annoyances,  and  placed  him 


Struggle.  43 


in  a  most  embarrassing  situation.  He  was  angry 
with  himself — recollected,  with  shame,  that  he 
had  repeated  the  error  which  he  had  so  much 
cause  to  regret  on  a  former  occasion,  and  men- 
tally repenting  his  own  loquaciousness  and  re- 
joicing at  Hildegarde's  taciturnity,  he  resolved 
never  to  refer  to  the  subject  again.  A  ring  of  the 
bell  at  the  entrance-door  induced  him  to  stop 
and  await  her  appearance.  She  did  not  answer 
the  summons,  and  it  was  repeated,  accompanied 
by  a  few  familiar  taps  on  the  door  Still  she  did 
not  move.  Again  the  bell  was  rung  ;  the  knocks 
became  louder,  as  if  administered  by  some  hard 
instrument,  and  finally  her  name  was  loudly  and 
distinctly  pronounced. 

"  I  am  coming,  papa,"  she  cried  at  last,  run- 
ning forward,  and  opening  the  door  precipitately. 

Count  Raimund  sprang  into  the  passage,  closed 
the  door  with  his  shoulder,  leaned  upon  it,  and 
burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter  at  the  dismay  legible 
on  the  features  of  his  cousin. 

"Oscar,"  she  began,  seriously,  "you  must 
come  some  other  day,  Mamma  is  not  at  home, 
and  I  have  been  left  to " 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  he  cried,  interrupting  her. 
"  I  saw  them  all  in  the  English  Gardens — your 
chevalier  Hamilton,  too,  galloping  about  like  a 
madman;  and  for  this  reason,  my  most  dear  and 
beautiful  cousin,  I  have  come  here  now,  hoping 
for  once  to  see  you  alone.  Do  not  look  so 
alarmed,  I  am  only  come  to  claim  the  advice 


44  tTbe  Initials. 


which  you  promised  to  give  me  on  the  most 
important  event  of  my  life." 

"  Not  now,  not  now,"  said  Hildegarde,  glanc- 
ing furtively  towards  the  end  of  the  passage, 
where,  in  the  shadow  of  his  door,  she  distin- 
guished Hamilton's  figure  leaning  with  folded 
arms  against  the  wall;  "  some  other  time,  Oscar." 

"  What  other  time  ?  I  never  see  you  for  a 
moment  alone —  even  at  the  Hoffmanns,  although 
my  good  Marie  is  too  rational  to  bore  me  with 
useless  jealousy,  does  not  her  deaf  old  mother 
watch  every  movement  and  intercept  every 
glance  with  her  cold,  grey,  suspicious  eyes  ?  I 
sometimes  wish  the  old  lady  were  blind  instead 
of  deaf,  she  would  be  infinitely  less  troublesome." 

"  Oh,  Oscar  ! " 

"  Conceive  my  being  doomed  to  live  in  the 
vicinity  of  such  eyes,  dearest  creature,  and  you 
will  pity  me,  at  least  !  " 

"  You  are  not  in  the  least  to  be  pitied  —  for 
the  Hoffmanns  are  most  amiable,"  said  Hilde- 
garde, hurriedly.  "  But  now  I  expect  you  will 
leave  me." 

"  Expect  no  such  thing  !  On  the  contrary,  I 
expect  you  will  invite  me  to  enter  this  room,"  he 
replied,  advancing  boldly  towards  her. 

"  If  you  enter  that  room,"  said  Hildegarde, 
sternly.  I  shall  leave  you  there,  and  take  refuge 
with  Madame  de  Hoffmann,  who,  I  know,  is  now 
at  home." 

"  Don't  be  angry,  dearest,  all  places  are  alike 


Gbe  Struggle.  45 


to  me  where  you  are.  All  places  are  alike  to  me 
where  I  may  tell  you  without  reserve  that  I 
love  you  more  than  ever  one  cousin  loved  an- 
other." 

"The  time  is  ill  chosen  for  jesting,  Oscar  ;  I 
never  felt  less  disposed  to  enjoy  anything  of  the 
kind  than  at  this  moment." 

"  Indeed  !  then  let  me  tell  you  seriously  that 
I  love  you  to  distraction." 

"  Oscar,  even  in  jest  I  do  not  choose  to  hear 
such  nonsense." 

"  By  heaven,  I  am  not  jesting." 

"  Then,  betrothed  as  you  now  are,  your  words 
are  a  crime." 

"  Be  it  so  ;  there  is,  however,  no  crime  I  should 
hesitate  to  commit  were  you  to  be  obtained  by  it. 
As  to  breaking  my  engagement  with  Marie,  that 
is  a  trifle  not  worth  considering  ;  but  what  am  I 
likely  to  obtain  by  doing  so  ?  " 

"  Dishonour,"  said  Hildegarde,  firmly  and 
calmly. 

"  Hildegarde,"  he  exclaimed,  fiercely,  "  do  not 
affect  a  coldness  which  you  cannot  feel  ;  do  not 
drive  me  to  madness.  My  love  must  not  be 
trifled  with  ;  it  is  of  no  rational  every-day  kind, 
but  violent  as  my  nature,  and  desperate  as  my 
fortunes." 

"  That  is,"  thought  Hamilton,  "  exactly  what 
she  wished.  If  he  continue  in  this  strain  she 
will  not  shut  the  door  in  his  face.  But  I  have 
had  enough  of  this  raving,  and  will  no  longer 


46  Sbe  Untttals. 


constrain  her  by  my  presence."  He  entered  the 
room,  and  closed  the  door. 

For  more  than  half  an  hour  he  impatiently 
paced  backwards  and  forwards,  stopping  only 
when  he  heard  Raimund's  voice  suddenly  raised. 
At  length  he  thought  he  heard  a  stifled  scream, 
and  rushed  to  the  door,  scarcely  knowing  what 
he  feared  or  expected.  Hildegarde  was  holding 
her  cousin's  arm  with  both  hands,  while  she 
exclaimed,  "  For  heaven's  sake,  Oscar,  do  not 
frighten  me  so  horribly." 

A  loud  ringing  of  the  house-bell,  and  the  sound 
of  many  voices  on  the  stairs,  seemed  to  be  a 
relief  to  her,  while  Raimund  appeared  consider- 
ably agitated.  "  Hide  me  in  your  room,  Hilde- 
garde ;  I  am  lost  if  the  Hoffmanns  find  me  here." 

"  And  what  is  to  become  of  me  should  you  be 
found  there  ? "  she  asked,  while  a  deadly  pale- 
ness overspread  her  features,  and  she  irresolutely 
placed  her  hand  on  the  lock  of  the  door,  then 
glanced  down  the  passage,  and  beckoning  Rai- 
mund to  follow,  she  led  the  way  to  Hamilton's 
room.  "  Mr.  Hamilton,"  she  said,  with  a  trem- 
bling voice,  "  will  you  allow  Oscar  to  remain  a  few 
minutes  in  your  room,  and  when  no  one  is  in  the 
passage,  have  the  goodness  to  open  the  door 
leading  to  the  back  staircase  for  him  ?  " 

"  The  part  which  you  have  assigned  me  in  this 
comedy,  mademoiselle,  is  by  no  means  agreeable, 
but  I  will  not  be  the  means  of  causing  you 
embarrassment ;  Count  Raimund  may  easily  be 


Gbe  Struggle.  47 


supposed  to  have  voluntarily  visited  me,  and  there 
is  no  necessity  for  a  retreat  by  the  back  staircase, 
unless  he  have  some  motive  for  wishing  to  give 
his  visit  an  air  of  mystery." 

"  Ah,  very  true,"  said  Hildegarde,  in  a  hurried, 
confused  manner,  while  she  moved  aside  to  let 
her  cousin  pass. 

Hamilton's  speech  made  more  impression  on 
Raimund  ;  he  looked  furious,  and  seemed  to 
hesitate  whether  or  not  to  enter  the  room.  Again 
the  bell  rang,  and  Hildegarde  was  in  the  act  of 
springing  forward,  when  Raimund  caught  her 
arm,  and  while  a  fearful  frown  contracted  his 
brows,  with  closed  teeth,  and  in  the  low  voice  of 
suppressed  rage,  he  whispered,  "  One  word  ;  is  it 
Zedwitz  ?  or — or —  "  he  looked  towards  Hamil- 
ton. 

Hildegarde's  face  became  crimson,  she  flung 
off  his  detaining  hand,  and  ran  to  the  hall-door, 
which  she  threw  wide  open,  leaving  him  to  re- 
treat precipitately  into  Hamilton's  room,  where, 
with  folded  arms,  he  strode  toward  the  window, 
after  having  murmured  the  words,  "  Sorry  to  in- 
trude in  this  manner."  Hamilton  moved  a  chair 
towards  him  ;  he  sat  down  for  a  moment,  but  the 
next  jumped  up,  and  going  to  the  door,  partly 
opened  it,  and  looked  into  the  passage. 

"  I  saw  Count  Raimund  enter  the  house  more 
than  half  an  hour  ago,"  observed  a  very  loud 
voice,  which  Hamilton  recognised  as  Madame  de 
Hoffmann's,  "  and  as  I  knew  you  were  all  out 


48  Gbe  flnitiate. 


walking,  and  only  Mademoiselle  Hildegarde  at 
home,  I  expected  to  see  him  leave  it  again  im- 
mediately." 

"  I  think,  mamma,  you  must  have  been  mis- 
taken," said  Mademoiselle  de  Hoffmann,  putting 
her  mouth  close  to  her  mother's  ear. 

"  I  have  the  misfortune  to  be  somewhat  deaf, 
Marie,  but  my  eyes  are  as  good  as  yours, 
and  with  these  eyes  I  saw  him  enter  this 
house." 

"  You  are  quite  right,"  said  Raimund,  advanc- 
ing with  the  easiest  manner  and  most  uncon- 
cerned smile  imaginable.  "  I  knew  that  Marie 
had  gone  out  with  Madame  Rosenberg,  and  not 
imagining  that  my  future  mother-in-law  could 
be  so  much  interested  in  my  movements,  I  ven- 
tured, without  informing  her  of  my  intentions,  to 
visit  my  friend  Hamilton." 

"  But  Mr.  Hamilton  is  out  riding,"  cried  Mad- 
ame de  Hoffmann. 

"  Perhaps  he  was  out  riding,  but  I  have  had 
the  good  fortune  to  find  him  at  home,  neverthe- 
less." 

"  Then  he  must  have  come  up  the  other  stair- 
case, or  I  should  have  seen  him  through  the 
slit  in  our  door,  where  I  watched  you  walking 
upstairs." 

"Very  possibly,"  said  Raimund,  contemp- 
tuously. 

"  Marie,"  said  Madame  de  Hoffmann,  in  what 
she  intended  for  a  whisper,  but  which  was  audi- 


Struggle.  49 


ble  to  all,  "  Marie,  my  child,  I  don't  believe  a 
word  of  all  this.  The  Englishman  is  no  more  in 
the  house  than  the  man  in  the  moon." 

"  Confound  your  suspicions,"  muttered  Rai- 
mund,  angrily.  "  I  suppose,  then,"  he  added 
with  a  frown,  "  I  shall  be  obliged,  in  order  to 
satisfy  you,  to  ask  Mr.  Hamilton  to  show  himself 
to  the  assembled  household." 

He  seemed,  however,  so  very  unwilling  to  make 
the  request,  that  Madame  de  Hoffmann's  sus- 
picions received  confirmation  ;  she  turned  from 
him,  saying,  with  a  laugh  of  derision,  "  Perhaps 
Hildegarde  can  assist  you  in  making  him  appear!  " 

Her  words  acted  like  a  charm.  Hamilton, 
who  had  been  an  immovable  listener  of  all  that 
had  passed,  no  sooner  heard  her  name  mentioned, 
than  he  mechanically  rose,  and  taking  his  hat 
and  whip,  issued  forth.  He  forced  a  smile  as  he 
passed  the  Hoffmanns  and  Madame  Rosenberg, 
which,  on  approaching  Hildegarde,  changed  into 
an  expression  of  contempt  that  neither  her 
swelled  and  tearful  eyelids  nor  her  excessive 
paleness  could  mitigate. 

After  his  return  home,  he  remained  in  his 
room  until  supper  was  announced,  and  even  then 
delayed  some  minutes,  to  insure  Madame  Rosen- 
berg's being  in  the  drawing-room  when  he 
reached  it.  She  was  endeavouring  to  persuade 
Hildegarde  to  leave  the  stove,  near  which  she 
was  sitting  with  closed  eyes,  leaning  her  head  in 
her  hands. 

VOL.  II. — 4 


50  Cbe  initials. 


"  If  you  would  only  eat  your  supper,  Hilde- 
garde,  it  would  quite  cure  your  headache,  which 
is  probably  caused  by  your  having  spent  the  day 
in  a  heated  room.  Next  time  I  shall  leave  old 
Hans  in  charge  of  the  house,  for  had  you  been 
out  walking  with  us  as  usual,  you  would  have  had 
no  headache,  I  am  sure.  Don't  you  think  so  too, 
Mr.  Hamilton  ? " 

"  I  think  it  very  probable,"  he  answered,  seat- 
ing himself  beside  Madame  Rosenberg. 

"  And  don't  you  think  if  she  took  some  soup 
she  would  be  better  ?  " 

"Perhaps." 

"  Hildegarde,  I  insist  on  your  trying  it — or  go 
to  bed  at  once.  You  make  your  head  worse  by 
sitting  so  close  to  the  stove." 

Hildegarde,  without  speaking,  moved  to  the 
vacant  chair  at  the  other  side  of  Hamilton,  and 
slowly  and  reluctantly  sipped  a  few  mouthfuls  of 
soup. 

By  some  singular  anomaly,  Hamilton  found 
himself  suddenly  in  remarkably  high  spirits — he 
looked  at  Hildegarde,  and  congratulating  himself 
on  being  free  from  thraldom,  gazed  with  a  gay 
smile  on  her  pale  features  until  they  were  suffused 
with  red,  and  great  was  his  triumph  to  feel  and 
know  that  there  was  no  sympathetic  blush  on  his 
own  countenance.  He  told  Madame  Rosenberg 
of  an  engagement  he  had  made  with  Zedwitz  to 
accompany  him  to  Edelhof  on  the  following 
morning,  to  attend  the  marriage  of  his  sister,  and 


Struggle.  51 


requested  to  have  his  breakfast  at  an  early  hour 
the  next  day. 

"  And  you  intend  to  remain  away  a  whole  fort- 
night !  How  we  shall  miss  you  !  "  cried  Madame 
Rosenberg. 

"You  are  very  kind  to  say  so,"  replied  Hamil- 
ton, laughing. 

"  And  I  think  so  too,  though  you  seem  to 
doubt  me.  You  know  I  like  you  better  than  any 
of  the  Englishmen  I  have  had  in  my  house.  Cap- 
tain Black  was  not  to  be  compared  to  you,  nor 
Mr.  Smith,  either,  although  he  used  to  tell  me 
so  often  that  he  was  noble  even  without  a  von 
before  his  name,  and  that  he  could  be  made  a 
chamberlain  here  if  he  wished  it,  as  he  was 
related  to  the  Duke  of  Buckel,1  which  always 
appeared  to  me  such  an  odd  name  for  a  duke 
that  I  was  half  inclined  to  doubt  there  being  any 
such  person." 

"  We  have  a  Duke  of  Buccleugh "  began 

Hamilton. 

"  Very  likely  he  pronounced  it  that  way  ;  I  am 
sure  I  heard  it  often  enough  to  know,  but  I  never 
can  learn  an  English  word  until  I  see  it  written  ; 
and  never  should  have  learned  his  name  if  he 
had  not  constantly  left  his  cards  lying  about  on 
the  tables  ;  I  dare  say  I  shall  find  some  of  them 
in  the  card-basket  still."  She  commenced  a  dili- 

1  Buckel  means  in  German  back,  or  more  generally 
humpback.  It  seems  that  Madame  Rosenberg  took  it  in 
the  latter  sense. 


52  Gbe  Initials. 


gent  search  while  speaking,  and  soon  held  up  a 
card  on  which  was  printed  in  large  German  letters 
the  name  of  Mr.  Howard  Seymour  Scott  Smith. 

"  He  used  to  sometimes  say  that  the  last  word 
ought  to  be  left  out,  for  that  his  real  name  was 
Scott." 

"  Perhaps  he  inherited  property  with  the  name 
of  Smith  ? " 

"  No  ;  he  said  something  about  a  marriage 
certificate  having  been  lost — that  before  he  was 
born  there  was  great  irregularity  in  such  things 
in  England." 

Hamilton  laughed. 

"  Is  it  not  true  ?  "  asked  Madame  Rosenberg. 

"  Oh,  very  possibly." 

"He  told  us,  too,  that  in  Scotland  people 
could  be  married  without  any  certificate  of  birth, 
baptism,  or  confirmation — without  even  the  con- 
sent of  their  friends.  Franz  says  this  is  a  fact, 
and  that  the  existence  of  such  a  law  is  a  great 
temptation  to  thoughtless  young  people." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  it  is,"  replied  Hamilton  ; 
"  I  would  not  answer  for  myself  were  I  led  into 
temptation.  A  great-uncle  of  mine  made  a  mar- 
riage of  this  kind  and  it  proved  a  very  happy 
one — his  friends,  to  provide  for  him  quickly^ 
used  all  their  interest  to  send  him  out  to  India, 
where  he  made  an  enormous  fortune,  and  as  he 
has  no  children,  has  been,  ever  since  his  return, 
a  sort  of  lawgiver  in  our  family.  I  should  not 
have  been  here  now,  if  old  Uncle  Jack  had  not 


Struggle.  53 


said  that  travelling  was  necessary  to  make  me  a 
man  of  the  world,  and  that  in  Germany  alone  I 
could  learn  to  speak  the  German  well. 

"But, "said  Madame  Rosenberg,  "this  mar- 
riage was  a  fortunate  exception,  for,"  she  added, 
with  sundry  winks  and  blinks  towards  Hilde- 
garde,  "  for  marriages  against  the  consent  of 
relations  seldom  or  never  turn  out  well.  Let  me 
give  you  some  more  salad,  and  then,  as  you  are 
to  leave  so  early  to-morrow,  I  may  as  well  pack 
up  your  things  to-night." 

"  By  no  means,"  cried  Hamilton,  "  I  must  beg 
of  you  to  send  for  Hans." 

"  Oh,  young  Hans  is  much  too  awkward,  and 
the  old  man  is  gone  to  bed  hours  ago.  I  have 
been  thinking,  if  you  intendto  keep  Hans,  that  I 
will  begin  to  teach  him  to  be  handy,  and  instead 
of  Hildegarde's  arranging  your  linen,  he  must 
learn  to  do  it  from  this  time  forward." 

"  That  would  be  very  kind  of  you,"  said  Ham- 
ilton. 

"  For  the  sewing  on  of  buttons,  and  all  that," 
continued  Madame  Rosenberg,  delighted  at  the 
idea  of  giving  instruction,  "he  must  of  course 
still  apply  to  you,  Hildegarde." 

Hildegarde,  who  had  been  leaning  back  on  her 
chair,  diligently  puckering  and  plaiting  her 
pocket-handkerchief,  looked  up  for  a  moment, 
and  replied  : 

"  Yes,  mamma." 

"  I  shall  send  for  Hans,  and  give  him  his  first 


54  tTbe  ffnftiate. 


lessons  to-night,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg  mov- 
ing towards  the  door. 

"  Wait  a  moment  and  I  can  accompany  you," 
cried  Hamilton,  quickly,  "  I  shall  be  ready 
directly." 

"  Don't  hurry  yourself,"  said  Madame  Rosen- 
berg ;  "  you  will  have  time  enough  before  Hans 
comes  up ;  and  I  must  first  see  if  Peppy  has 
fallen  asleep,  and  if  he  is  properly  covered. 
Don't  hurry  yourself." 

Why  did  Hamilton  bend  over  his  plate  ?  and 
why  did  the  colour  mount  to  his  temples  as  the 
door  closed  ?  Did  he  begin  to  entertain  doubts 
of  his  indifference,  or  did  he  dread  an  explana- 
tion with  Hildegarde  ?  He  scarcely  knew  him- 
self, but  he  felt  uncomfortable,  and  gave  himself 
a  quantity  of  trouble  to  prevent  his  companion 
from  observing  it. 

The  distant  roll  of  carriages  had  already  in- 
formed them  that  the  opera  was  over  ;  but  it  was 
not  until  the  sound  of  voices  in  the  usually  quiet 
street  had  made  the  immediate  return  of  her 
father,  sister,  and  Major  Stultz  probable,  that 
Hildegarde  summoned  courage  to  say,  in  a  very 
low  voice,  and  without  looking  up,  "  What  must 
you  think  of  me " 

"  Do  you  wish  to  know  what  I  think  of  you  ?  " 
asked  Hamilton,  with  affected  negligence. 

"  Yes  ;  but  do  not  again  judge  too  harshly." 

"  I  think,"  he  said,  facing  her  deliberately, 
''I  think  you  are  very  beautiful." 


Struggle.  55 


"  Pshaw  !  "  cried  Hildegarde,  pushing  back 
her  chair  angrily,  "  I  expected  a  very  different 
answer." 

"  Something  different,"  said  Hamilton,  in  the 
same  tone.  "  Something  about  distraction  and 
committing  crimes,  perhaps." 

"  What  occurred  to-day  is  no  subject  for  a 
jest,"  she  said  seriously. 

"  So  I  thought  a  few  hours  ago,  also,"  said 
Hamilton  ;  "  but  now  the  whole  affair  appears  to 
me  rather  amusing  than  otherwise.  Perhaps, 
however,  your  cousin  alone  is  privileged  to  speak 
to  you  in  this  manner,  in  which  case  you  must 
pardon  me  for  endeavouring  to  recollect  what  he 
said  ;  but  it  was  so  well  received  that " 

"  It  was  not  well  received  !  "  cried  Hildegarde, 
interrupting  him.  "  You  know  it  was  not ;  and 
I  am  ready,"  she  added,  after  a  pause,  "  ready  to 
repeat  to  you  every  word  of  our  conversation." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Hamilton,  coldly,  "  but  I 
have  already  heard  enough  to  enable  me  to  im- 
agine the  remainder." 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Hildegarde,  hurriedly,  "  per- 
haps you  heard — and  saw — " 

"  I  heard  a  declaration  of  love  after  the  most 
approved  form,  a  proposal  to  commit  any  crime 
or  crimes  likely  to  render  him  interesting  and 
acceptable  to  you.  I  remembered  to  have  once 
heard  you  tell  your  father  that  you  wished  to  be 
the  object  of  a  love  of  this  kind  ;  but  I  did  not 
wait  to  hear  your  answers,  it  was  your  half-sup- 


56  Ebe  Tfnitiale. 


pressed  scream  which  made  me  foolishly  imagine 
you  wished  for  my  presence.  When  I  saw  you  I 
perceived  at  once  my  mistake,  and  returned  to 
my  room." 

"  Then  you  did  not  see  the — the  dagger " 

"  What  dagger  ?  "  asked  Hamilton,  his  curiosity 
excited  in  spite  of  himself. 

"  Oscar's  dagger — he  threatened  to  stab  him- 
self !  " 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha  !  "  laughed  Hamilton.  "  I  really 
did  not  think  him  capable  of  acting  so  absurdly 
I  gave  him  credit  for  too  much  knowledge  of 
the  world  to  treat  you  to  such  an  insipid  scene." 

"  Then  you  do  not  think  he  was  serious  !  " 

"  I  am  sure  he  was  not.  The  dagger  was  pur- 
posely brought  for  effect.  He  has  proved  him- 
self an  excellent  actor  to-day — tragic  as  well  as 
comic,  it  seems." 

"  It  was  cruel  of  him  deliberately  to  frighten 
me,"  said  Hildegarde,  thoughtfully. 

"  It  was  unpardonable — inexcusable  his  doing 
so,"  cried  Hamilton,  "  for  he  thought  you  were 
alone,  and  took  advantage  of  finding  you  unpro- 
tected." 

"  Most  men  take  advantage  of  finding  us  un- 
protected. After  the  events  of  to-day  I  may  say 
all  men  do  so,"  replied  Hildegarde,  with  so  much 
reproachful  meaning  in  her  glance  that  Hamilton 
rose  from  his  seat  and  began  to  perambulate  the 
room,  occasionally  stopping  to  lean  on  the  stove, 
until  her  father's  voice  and  approaching  steps 


Departure.  57 


made  him  suddenly  move  forward  towards  her, 
as  if  he  expected  her  to  speak  again.  She  re- 
mained, however,  silent  and  motionless  ;  and  at 
length,  overcome  by  a  mixture  of  anxiety  and 
curiosity,  and  with  an  ineffectual  effort  to  appear 
indifferent,  he  said  quickly,  "  I  thought  you 
were  going  to  tell  me  what  you  said  that  could 
have  given  your  cousin  an  excuse  for  producing 
a  dagger." 

"  You  did  not  choose  to  hear  when  I  was  will- 
ing to  tell  you  ;  and  now  -  " 

Here  Madame  Rosenberg  entered  the  room, 
and  Hildegarde  rose,  saying,  "that  her  head 
ached  intolerably,  and  she  would  now  go  to  bed." 

"  Good-night  !  "  said  Hamilton.  "  I  hope 
your  headache  will  be  cured  by  a  long  sleep,  and 
that  you  will  be  quite  well  when  we  meet  again." 

"  Thank  you  ;  before  that  time  I  shall  most 
probably  have  altogether  forgotten  it,"  said  Hil- 
degarde. 

That  means,  thought  Hamilton,  she  will  not 
pour  out  my  coffee  to-morrow  at  breakfast. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE    DEPARTURE. 

TTILDEGARDE    did    not    appear    the   next 

morning,  and  Hamilton  breakfasted  with 

Madame  Rosenberg  sitting  opposite  to  him  in  a 


58  tTbe  flnitfals. 


striped  red  and  white  dressing-gown  ;  her  hair, 
as  usual,  twisted  up  to  the  very  roots  with  hair- 
pins, to  prepare  curls  which,  however,  seldom 
made  their  appearance  at  home,  excepting 
on  the  evenings  which  the  Hoffmanns  spent 
with  her.  She  sat  opposite  to  him,  and  watched 
while  he  vainly  endeavoured  to  improve  his 
coffee  by  adding  alternately  cream  and  sugar. 
"One  never  enjoys  a  breakfast  at  this  early 
hour,"  she  observes  at  length,  "  the  coffee 
is,  however,  quite  as  good  as  usual ;  I  made  it 
myself." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,"  said  Hamilton,  "  but 
the  fact  is,  I  am  so  accustomed  to  your  daughter 
Hildegarde's  preparing  it  for  me,  that  I  do  not 
know  the  quantity  of  cream  and  sugar  necessary 
— by-the-by,  I  hope  her  headache  is  better  this 
morning  ? " 

"  She  said  so,"  replied  Madame  Rosenberg, 
"but  I  found  her  so  feverish,  and  looking  so 
wretchedly  ill,  that  I  have  forbidden  her  getting 
up  until  Doctor  Berger  sees  her." 

"You  do  not  apprehend  any  serious  illness,  I 
hope  ? " 

"  Oh,  no — but  Crescenz  tells  me  that  she  slept 
very  uneasily — had  frightful  dreams,  and  at  one 
time  during  the  night  fancied  someone  intended 
to  stab  her  !  Such  an  idea  !  I  suppose,"  she 
added,  after  a  pause,  "  you  expect  Count  Zed- 
witz  to  call  for  you  ?  " 

"  I  believe  so,"  said  Hamilton,  absently. 


Departure.  59 


"  I  am  beginning  rather  to  like  him,"  observed 
Madame  Rosenberg. 

Hamilton  did  not  appear  to  hear  her. 

"  You  are  going  to  a  gay  house,"  she  added, 
"  at  least  it  will  be  gay  on  such  an  occasion." 

"  What  occasion?"  asked  Hamilton,  looking  up. 

"  Why,  did  you  not  tell  me  that  the  only 
daughter  was  going  to  be  married  ?  And  is  not 
a  wedding  a  very  gay  thing  ?  " 

"  Not  always,"  said  Hamilton,  "  for  brides 
generally  shed  tears  and  infect  the  bridesmaids, 
and  the  mamma  half  faints,  and  the  papa  is 
agitated,  and  when  the  bridal  party  leave,  the 
house  is  immensely  dull,  until  it  fill  with  new 
people  again.  Altogether,  a  wedding  is  a  very 
deadly-lively  festivity,  excepting  to  the  two 
principal  actors." 

"  I  will  prove  the  contrary,"  said  Madame 
Rosenberg,  "  you  shall  see  how  gay  our  wedding 
will  be  —  that  is,  Crescenz's  !  Did  I  tell  you  that 
it  must  be  deferred  until  the  carnival  ?" 

"  Not  a  word  —  I  thought  it  was  to  take  place 
before  Christmas." 

"  Marriages  are  seldom  or  never  celebrated 
before  Advent,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg,  "but 
at  all  events,  Major  Stultz's  sister  has  died  sud- 
denly, and  he  must  leave  for  Nuremberg  to- 
morrow." 

"  I  am  sorry  he  has  lost  his  sister,"  said 
Hamilton,  compassionately. 

"Why,  in  fact,  the  loss  is  rather  a  gain,"  said 


60  Gbe  -ffnttiate. 


Madame  Rosenberg.  "  He  knew  very  little 
about  her — she  was  unmarried,  rich,  and  stingy 
— always  on  the  point  of  making  a  fool  of  her- 
self by  marrying  some  young  student  or  officer. 
Now  the  Major  quietly  inherits  all  her  property 
— a  very  pretty  addition  to  what  he  already  has. 
I  told  Crescenz  yesterday  evening  that  she  had 
drawn  a  greater  prize  than  she  expected." 

"  And  what  did  she  say  ?  " 

"Why,  not  much,  but  she  looked  exceedingly 
pleased — her  father  has  told  me  since  that  he 
thinks  she  is  glad  that  her  marriage  is  put  off,  and 
does  not  care  in  the  least  about  the  money,  of 
which  she  has  not  yet  learned  the  value.  This 
may  be  partly  true — Crescenz  may  have  no  ob- 
jection to  a  delay,  but  she  is  now  quite  satisfied 
with  the  Major,  and  has  no  wish  whatever  to 
break  off  her  engagement.  Count  Raimund  has 
been  of  great  use  to  her  !  " 

"  How  do  you  mean  ? "  asked  Hamilton  sur- 
prised. 

"  Why,  his  unpardonable  negligence  towards 
Marie  de  Hoffmann  forms  a  fine  contrast  to  the 
Major's  attention  and  handsome  presents.  Cres- 
cenz is  very  childish,  but  she  has  perceived  the 
difference,  nevertheless,  and  I  have  not  neglected 
the  opportunity  to  tell  her  that  all  young  men  are 
careless  lovers,  and  still  more  careless  husbands, 
and  that  I  am  sure  she  will  be  much  happier 
when  she  is  married  than  Marie." 

"  The  carriage  is  come  !     The  carriage  is  come 


Cbe  Departure.  61 

for  Hamilton  !  "  cried  Peppy,  rushing  into  the 
room;  "and  Count  Zedwitz  is  coming  up  the 
stairs  !  and  Crescenz  is  hiding  behind  the  kit- 
chen-door !  and  Walburg  is  gone  with  Gustle  to 
school !  and  Dr.  Berger  is  in  Hildegarde's  room  ! 
and  papa  is  putting  on  his  coat  !  and  he  wants 
you  to  come  to  him  !  " 

"  Well,  have  you  any  more  news  to  tell  me 
before  I  go  ? "  said  his  mother,  taking  up  her 
bunch  of  keys  from  the  breakfast-table,  "  Good 
morning,  Count  Zedwitz — you  must  excuse  me 
— Dr.  Berger  is  here,  and — " 

"  No  one  ill,  I  hope  ? "  said  Zedwitz. 

"  Hildegarde  is  ill,"  replied  Hamilton  ;  "have 
you  any  objection  to  waiting  until  we  hear  what 
the  Doctor  says  !  "  « 

"Quite  the  contrary,"  said  Zedwitz,  sitting 
down,  evidently  alarmed. 

"  In  the  meantime,  I  can  tell  Hans  to  carry 
down  my  luggage,"  said  Hamilton. 

Hans  was  despatched  with  the  portmanteau, 
carpet-bag,  and  dressing-case ;  but  Hamilton, 
instead  of  returning  to  his  friend,  watched  until 
Madame  Rosenberg  and  the  doctor  had  left 
Hildegarde's  room,  and  walked  up  the  passage 
together.  A  moment  after  he  was  at  her  door, 
and  had  knocked. 

"  Come  in,"  said  Hildegarde,  almost  gayly. 
"  I  am  not  so  ill  as  you  suppose  !  " 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  Hamilton, 
entering  as  he  spoke. 


62  Gbe  Initials. 


"  I — I — expected  papa,"  said  Hildegarde, 
blushing  deeply. 

"  I  more  than  half  suspected  the  permission  to 
enter  was  not  intended  for  me,"  said  Hamilton, 
"  but  I  really  cannot  leave  you  without  having 
obtained  pardon  for  having  offended  you  last 
night.  I  cannot  quit  you  for  so  long  a  time, 
without  the  certainty  of  your  forgiveness." 

"  It  is  granted — or  rather  I  have  nothing  to 
forgive,"  replied  Hildegarde,  "  for  you  were 
quite  right  not  to  listen  to  my  confession,  though 
I  remained  up  on  purpose  to  favour  you  with  it." 
She  had  become  very  pale  while  speaking, 
and  Hamilton  was  forcibly  reminded  of  all 
her  long  and  unwearied  attentions  to  him 
during  his  illness.  He  wondered  how  he  could 
ever,  even  for  a  moment,  have  forgotten  them, 
and  remained  lost  in  thought,  until,  slightly 
pointing  towards  the  door,  she  wished  him  a 
pleasant  journey  and  much  amusement.  Instead 
of  obeying  the  sign,  he  walked  directly  forward, 
saying,  "You  must  not  expect  me  to  believe 
that  I  am  forgiven  until  you  have  told  me  all  I 
refused  to  hear  yesterday  evening." 

"  How  very  unconscionable  you  are,"  she  said, 
with  a  faint  smile.  "When,  however,  I  tell  you 
that  I  wish  you  to  leave  my  room,  that  I  am  too 
ill  to  talk,  I  am  sure  you " 

"  Oh,  of  course,  of  course,"  said  Hamilton, 
quite  aware  of  the  reasonableness  of  her  demand. 
"  Only  one  thing  you  must  tell  me,  and  that  is, 


Hbe  Departure.  63 

what  you  said  to  Raimund  which  could  induce 
him  to  threaten  to  kill  himself." 

"  Do  not  ask  me,"  said  Hildegarde,  uneasily. 

"  But  that  is  exactly  what  I  insist  upon  know- 
ing," persisted  Hamilton. 

"You  said  you  came  to  ask  forgiveness,  but  it 
seems  you  have  fallen  into  your  usual  habit  of 
commanding,  and " 

"  I  do  not  command,"  cried  Hamilton,  inter- 
rupting her,  "  I  do  not  command  ;  but,"  he 
added,  in  a  very  low  voice,  and  approaching  still 
nearer,  "  I  entreat,  I  entreat  you  to  tell  me  what 
you  said  to  him." 

"  I  reminded  him  that  he  was  betrothed  to  my 
friend,"  began  Hildegarde,  slowly  and  unwill- 
ingly. 

"  Well,  well ;  and  then " 

"  And  then — I  said — I  could  not  like  him 
otherwise  than  as  a — cousin." 

"  But  surely,  situated  as  he  is,  he  must  have 
expected  just  such  an  answer  from  you.  Were 
he  free  and  independent,  you  would  probably 
have  spoken  differently.  Did  you  not  console 
him  by  telling  him  so  ?  " 

Hildegarde  remained  silent,  her  eyes  almost 
closed. 

"  And  if  you  told  him  that,"  continued  Hamil- 
ton, "  there  was  no  possible  excuse  for  the  dagger- 
scene  ;  he  might  have  been  despairing,  but  not 
desperate,  on  such  an  occasion.  Tell  me,  Hil- 
degarde, did  you  say  that  ? " 


64  Cbe  Untttals. 


"  No,"  she  replied,  almost  in  a  whisper,  "  no  ; 
for  though  I  admire  Oscar,  I  do  not  love  him  at 
all." 

"  Then  you  must  have  said  something  else  !  " 

"  You  are  worrying  me,"  she  murmured,  with 
an  expression  of  pain. 

"  I  see  I  am,"  cried  Hamilton.  "  Forgive  me, 
but  I  must  ask  one  question  more.  Did  he  not 
ask  you  if  you  loved  another  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Hildegarde,  turning  away  her  face, 
which  was  once  more  covered  with  blushes. 

"  And  you  acknowledged  ? " 

"  I  acknowledged.  I  confessed  my  folly,  to 
put  an  end  to  the  wildest  ravings,  and  most  im- 
practicable schemes  imaginable." 

"  And  you  named  the  object  of  your  prefer- 
ence ? " 

"  Oh,  no,  no,  no  !  " 

"  Hildegarde,"  cried  Hamilton,  hurriedly,  "  tell 
me  at  once — answer  me  quickly,  have  you  chosen 
Zedwitz  ? " 

Hildegarde  turned  still  more  away,  but  did  not 
answer. 

"  I  understand  your  silence.  You  have  chosen 
well — and,"  he  added,  after  a  slight  struggle, 
"wisely." 

Hildegarde  made  an  impatient  gesture  with 
her  hand. 

"  Do  not  mistake  me,"  he  continued,  eagerly  ; 
"I  am  convinced  your  choice  has  not  in  the 
least  been  influenced  by  interested  motives. 


SFbe  Departure.  65 

Zedwitz  is  in  every  respect  worthy  of  your 
regard." 

Hildegarde  raised  herself  quickly  on  her  elbow, 
and  seemed  about  to  speak,  but  the  words  died 
on  her  lips  when  she  perceived  Crescenz,  who 
had,  as  usual,  entered  the  room  noiselessly, 
standing  between  them.  She  shrank  back,  her 
colour  changed  several  times  with  frightful 
rapidity,  but  her  voice,  though  faint,  was  per- 
fectly calm  as  she  requested  her  sister  to  close 
the  window-shutters,  and  every  trace  of  emotion 
disappeared  as  her  father  entering,  seated  him- 
self beside  her  bed,  and  observed  that  she 
looked  more  like  a  marble  statue  than  a  living 
person. 

Hamilton  was  at  the  moment  unable  to  articu- 
late ;  he  shook  Mr.  Rosenberg's  hand,  and  left 
the  room  precipitately.  In  the  drawing-room  he 
found  the  Doctor  assuring  Madame  Rosenberg 
that  Mademoiselle  Hildegarde  would  be  per- 
fectly well  in  a  day  or  two.  Hamilton,  neverthe- 
less, requested  her  to  write  to  him,  and  having 
obtained  a  promise,  he  began  to  hurry  Zedwitz's 
departure. 

"  Does  your  servant  not  go  with  us,  Hamil- 
ton ? "  asked  Zedwitz. 

"  He  is  to  follow  with  Madame  Rosenberg's 
letter  to-morrow.  Be  sure  to  bring  the  letter, 
Hans  !  "  said  Hamilton,  as  he  wrapped  himself 
in  his  cloak,  and  sank  back  in  the  corner  of  the 
carriage. 

VOL.  II. — 5 


66  Cbe  Untttals. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    LONG    DAY. 

TJ  AMILTON  could  not  help  feeling  flattered 
*•  *  at  the  evident  pleasure  which  his  return 
caused  to  every  member  of  the  Rosenberg  family. 
The  two  little  boys  began  immediately  to  tell  him 
that  the  Christmas-tree  was  expected  the  next 
day.  Gustle  said  that  he  had  written  a  list  of 
all  the  toys  he  wished  for,  had  placed  it  under 
his  pillow,  and  that  the  little  child  Christ  had 
come  for  it  and  carried  it  off  ;  "  So,  you  see,  I 
must  have  been  very  good,  or  he  would  not  have 
taken  the  list,  and  I  shall  get  all  the  things  I 
wrote  for." 

"And,"  said  Peppy,  "mamma  met  the  infant 
Christ  in  the  Ludwig  street,  and  he  asked  if  I  had 
been  a  good  child,  and  when  mamma  said  yes, 
he  promised  to  fly  into  the  nursery  to-morrow 
evening  and  light  the  candles,  and  bring  me  a 
gun,  and  a  cart,  and  bon-bons,  and  ginger- 
bread." 

"  To-morrow  is  Christmas-eve,"  said  Madame 
Rosenberg,  "  a  great  day  with  us.  Captain 
Smith  told  me  that  you  do  not  celebrate  it  in  the 
same  manner  as  we  do.  As  to  Gustle,"  she 
added  in  a  whisper,  "  he  is  a  cunning  little  fellow, 
and  only  half  believes  what  he  says,  but  Peppy 
has  still  all  the  innocent  faith  of  childhood.  I, 
for  my  own  part,  firmly  believed  that  Jesus  gave 


Cbe  long  Dag.  67 

me  all  my  Christmas  presents  until  I  was  nearly 
ten  years  old  ;  but  children  now  are  not  so  easily 
made  to  believe  what  we  say." 

"  I  don't  quite  like  this  idea,"  said  Hamilton. 
"Speaking  in  this  way  seems  to  me  to  be  ir- 
reverent, and  must  oblige  you  to  tell  the  children 
a  number  of  untruths." 

"  Ah,  bah  !  "  cried  Madame  Rosenberg,  laugh- 
ing, "you  are  all  too  particular  in  this  respect." 

"  I  think,"  said  her  husband,  "  that  as  long  as 
they  can  believe  it,  they  may,  and  when  they 
cease  to  do  so,  they  naturally  think  that  it  is  God 
who  has  given  us  the  means  of  gratifying  their 
wishes,  and  so  the  gifts  after  all  come  from 
him." 

"  Oh,  how  I  enjoy  the  idea  of  my  Christmas- 
tree  this  year,"  exclaimed  Crescenz. 

"  Of  course  you  do,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg, 
"  as  you  know  that  you  will  get  so  many  presents. 
The  Major  returns  to-morrow  in  order  to  give 
you  the  gold  chain  and  topaz  ornaments  he 
promised  you,  and  perhaps  he  may  bring  some- 
thing of  his  sister's  for  you  from  Nuremberg." 

"  And  what  do  you  expect  to  get  ? "  said  Ham- 
ilton, turning  to  Hildegarde. 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  replied,  looking  with  a 
smile  towards  her  father,  "  but  I  have  a  sort  of 
idea  that  I  shall  get  my  first  ball  dress  and 
some  books.  Mamma  has  promised  me  a  tree 
for  myself,  so  perhaps  I  shall  give  you  some  of 
my  bon-bons" 


68  Cbe  flnttials. 


"  How  I  wish  to-morrow  were  come  !  "  cried 
Gustle. 

"I  wish  dinner  were  on  the  table,"  said  Mr. 
Rosenberg,  "  although  we  get  nothing  now  but 
veal  to  eat,  which  my  wife  considers  as  a  sort  of 
preservative  against  cholera." 

"  You  are  just  as  much  afraid  of  cholera  as  I 
am,  Franz,"  she  said,  and  then  added  in  a  whis- 
per to  Hamilton,  "  He  laughs  at  me,  but  he  takes 
drops  and  pills  every  night.  While  you  were 
at  Edelhof,  we  had  some  scenes  which  would, 
perhaps,  have  alarmed  you.  First,  I  thought  I 
had  got  the  cholera,  but  it  was  only  some  fat  of 
roast  lamb  which  had  disagreed  with  me.  Then 
the  cook  made  herself  ill  by  eating  the  apples 
which  I  had  given  her  that  the  children  might 
not  ask  for  them.  Then  Peppy " 

"Dinner  is  on  the  table,"  cried  old  Hans, 
merely  putting  his  grey  head  into  the  room. 

"  That  's  right,"  cried  Mr.  Rosenberg,  "  and 
now  I  request  that  the  cholera  be  no  more  named 
among  us.  A  fine  of  six  kreutzers  for  every 
time  the  word  is  said." 

"  Oh,  as  to  not  saying  the  word  '  cholera,' " 
began  his  wife. 

"A  fine,  a  fine,"  cried  Mr.  Rosenberg;  "the 
money  shall  be  put  into  a  box  and  given  to  the 
poor." 

"  Oh,  dear,"  exclaimed  Crescenz,  "  I  must 
take  great  care,  or  all  my  pocket-money  will  be 
spent  on  the  cho " 


Hildegarde's  hand  was  on  her  mouth  before  the 
word  was  pronounced.  The  little  boys  clapped 
their  hands,  Hamilton  laughed,  and  Mr.  Rosen- 
berg said  he  was  sure  that  his  wife  and  Cres- 
cenz  would  prove  themselves  the  most  chari- 
table by  their  contributions. 

The  next  morning  Hamilton  spent  in  choosing 
his  presents  ;  he  was  for  some  time  exceedingly 
puzzled,  and  wavered  long  between  books  and 
bronze,  glass  and  gold  ;  at  length  he  recollected 
having  heard  Hildegarde  once  say  that  she 
wished  for  nothing  in  this  world  so  much  as  a 
little  watch,  but  that  she  feared  she  never  would 
be  in  possession  of  one.  This  decided  at  once 
his  doubts,  and  as  the  others  interested  him  less, 
he  had  soon  completed  his  purchases  with  a  large 
box  of  toys  for  the  children. 

On  his  return,  he  found  Fritz  at  home  for  the 
holidays  ;  he  was  sitting  at  the  drawing-room 
window  with  his  brothers,  all  three  yawning  and 
looking  most  melancholy.  "  What  o'clock  is  it  ?  " 
was  the  exclamation  as  he  entered. 

"  Four  o'clock,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  but  why  do 
you  look  so  sorrowful  ?  " 

"Two  whole  hours  to  wait,"  sighed  Fritz. 

"  Two  long  hours,"  yawned  Gustle. 

"  Two  hours  before  the  angel  comes  to  light 
the  candles  and  ring  the  bell,"  said  Peppy. 

"  Pshaw,  mamma  might  light  the  candles  at 
five  o'clock  ;  it  will  be  dark  enough,  I  am  sure," 
said  Fritz,  in  a  whisper  to  Hamilton. 


70  tlbe  flnltfals. 


"  Where  are  your  sisters  ? " 

"  They  are  with  mamma,  hanging  the  bon-bons 
and  fastening  the  wax  tapers  on  the  trees,  I  sup- 
pose ;  but  when  the  presents  are  being  brought 
in  they  will  be  sent  off  too,  though  Crescenz 
thinks  herself  old  enough  to  light  the  candles 
and  do  everything." 

"  In  what  room  are  they  ?  " 

"  In  the  school-room,  but  you  need  not  expect 
to  get  in  ;  both  doors  are  locked." 

"What  do  you  think  the  little  child  Jesus  will 
send  you  ? "  asked  Peppy,  approaching  Hamil- 
ton confidentially.  "  Did  you,  too,  put  a  list 
under  your  pillow,  like  Gustle  ?  Next  year,  if  I 
can  write,  I  shall  ask  for  so  many  things.  Trum- 
pets, and  drums,  and  harlequins.  What  do  you 
think  you  will  get  ?  " 

"Bon-bons,  probably." 

"  And  something  else,  too,"  said  Gustle,  nod- 
ding his  head. 

"You  promised  not  to  tell,"  cried  Fritz, 
threateningly  approaching  his  brother. 

"  Don't  you  think,"  cried  Gustle,  boldly,  "that 
because  you  wear  a  uniform,  I  'm  afraid  of  you. 
I  '11  tell  what  I  like " 

Fritz  caught  him  by  the  collar,  Gustle  threw  off 
his  arm,  and  a  considerable  scuffle  .ensued. 

"  Hildegarde  has  not  finished  the  travelling- 
bag,"  shouted  Gustle,  angrily,  "  and  papa  says 
it  is  just  as  well,  as  it  was  not  a  civil  sort  of 
present." 


Xong  Dag.  71 


At  this  moment  Hildegarde  and  Crescenz 
entered  the  room. 

"  Turned  out  !  turned  out  !  "  cried  Fritz  and 
Gustle,  unanimously  joining  in  the  attack  on 
their  sisters. 

Hildegarde  smiled,  Crescenz  grew  red,  and  ob- 
served that  everything  was  ready  ;  there  was 
nothing  more  to  be  done. 

"  Turned  out  all  the  same,"  said  Fritz,  "  though 
you  are  nearly  sixteen,  and  going  to  be  married. 
Ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  " 

"  You  are  very  ill-natured,  Fritz,  always  talk- 
ing of  my  going  to  be  married,  though  you  know 
I  dislike  its  being  spoken  of." 

"  Not  you  !  Did  n't  I  see  you  playing  grand 
with  Lina  Berger  when  I  was  at  home  last  Sun- 
day ?  You  both  seemed  to  consider  Hildegarde 
beneath  your  notice,  and  she  is  worth  a  dozen 
such  as  you,  and  a  hundred  such  as  Lina 
Berger." 

"  I  was  learning  to  make  a  new  kind  of  purse." 

"  As  if  .1  did  not  know  the  purses  were  all 
made  !  No,  you  were  talking  of  old  Count  Zed- 
witz,  who  was  so  ill  that  the  Doctor  had  to  visit 
him  at  his  castle.  I  heard  all  you  said,  and  un- 
derstood you,  too,  though  you  spoke  French." 

Crescenz  blushed  deeply.  Hildegarde  became 
very  pale,  turned  suddenly  to  her  sister,  and  said, 
in  a  scarcely  audible  voice,  "  Crescenz,  you 
surely  have  not  had  the  cruelty  to  explain  to 
Lina  Berger,  or  gratify  her  curiosity  ?  " 


72  tlbe  flnftfals. 


"  Lina  suspected  almost  everything,  and  asked 
me  so  many  questions  that  I  did  not  know  what 
to  say.  You  forget  that  the  Doctor  was  sent  for, 
and  that  the  old  Count  was  ill  from  mental  agita- 
tion ;  I  dare  say  he  told  him  everything." 

"  What  he  left  untold  you  have  supplied.  It 
is  the  last  time  I  shall  ever  confide  in  you." 

"  Don't  be  angry,  Hildegarde,"  cried  Crescenz, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes  ;  "  surely  it  is  no  disgrace 
to  you  that  such  a  man  as  Count  Zedwitz  wished 
to " 

"  Silence  !  "  cried  Hildegarde,  sternly,  "  and 
never  mention  his  name  again." 

"Whew,"  whistled  Fritz  ;  "  Hildegarde  is  in  a 
passion ;  look  at  her  eyes  !  Fight  it  out,  Cressy, 
and  then  make  it  up  again  !  " 

But  Crescenz  threw  herself  on  her  knees  be- 
fore her  sister,  and,  seizing  her  hands,  faltered, 
"  Oh,  Hildegarde,  forgive  me  ;  I  have  done 
wrong,  but  you  know  that  Lina  always  makes  me 
do  as  she  pleases.  Forgive  me — only  say  that 
you  forgive  me  this  time  !  " 

"  I  forgive  you,"  said  Hildegarde,  "  but  I  never 
can  trust  you  again." 

The  sound  of  Madame  Rosenberg's  voice 
speaking  to  Major  Stultz  in  the  adjoining  room 
made  Crescenz  spring  up  and  follow  the  children, 
who  ran  to  meet  him. 

Hamilton  looked  at  Hildegarde,  but  did  not 
utter  a  word.  Every  feature  of  her  face  ex- 
pressed intense  annoyance,  as  she  slowly  turned 


Gbe  Xon0  Dag.  73 

to  the  window  and  leaned  her  head  against  it. 
The  greetings  in  the  next  room  were  cordial ; 
the  children  boisterously  reminded  Major  Stultz 
of  the  presents  which  he  had  promised  to  bring 
them  from  Nuremberg. 

"  They  are  come  or  coming,"  he  answered ; 
"  I  had  them  all  packed  up  ;  and  only  think,  the 
infant  Christ  met  me  on  my  way  here,  took  them 
all  from  me,  and  promised  to  place  them  all  un- 
der the  Christmas-tree  this  evening  himself." 

"  Well,"  cried  Fritz,  "  I  must  say  that  this. 
24th  of  December  is  the  very  longest  day  in  the 
whole  year." 

"  And  yet  it  is  generally  supposed  to  be  one  of 
the  shortest,"  said  Major  Stultz,  laughing  ;  he 
advanced  towards  Hamilton  and  shook  his  hand, 

"You  are  a  new  arrival  as  well  as  myself,  I 
hear.  All  my  people  in  Nuremberg  tried  to  per- 
suade me  to  stay  there  in  order  to  be  out  of  the 
way  of  the  cholera,  and  they  would,  perhaps, 
have  succeeded,  had  not  my  impatience  to  see 
Crescenz  again  been  so  great ;  besides,  I  hope  to 
hurry  matters  by  my  presence,  and  that  in  about 
a  fortnight  at  furthest,  Madame  Rosenberg " 

"  I  have  no  objection,  my  dear  Major,  but 
Franz  has  taken  it  into  his  head  that  Crescenz 
ought  to  wait  until  after  her  birthday,  and  go  to 
one  ball  with  her  sister  before  her  marriage.  We 
do  not  yet  know  when  the  first  museum  ball  will 
take  place." 

"  Pooh,  nonsense  !     She  can  go  to  .the  ball  af- 


74  •          ttbe  IFnttials. 


ter  our  marriage,  just  as  well  as  before  it ;  eh, 
Crescenz  ? " 

Crescenz  smiled  unmeaningly,  and  Hildegarde 
'"irned  the  conversation  by  telling  her  mother 
jftat  the  Hoffmanns  had  requested  permission  to 
come  to  the  Christmas-tree  in  the  evening,  to  see 
the  presents. 

"  You  have  invited  them,  of  course.  The 
Bergers  are  coming  too,  and  old  Madame  Lustig  ; 
I  invited  her  because  I  intend  to  ask  her  to  take 
charge  of  you  all  some  day  next  month,  as  I 
have  promised  to  visit  my  father  at  the  iron- 
works ;  besides,  she  has  taken  a  deal  of  trouble 
about  workwomen  for  Crescenz,  and  all  that  sort 
of  thing ;  I  expect  her  to  offer  to  stay  here  to- 
night, and  take  care  of  the  children  until  we  re- 
turn from  the  midnight  mass.  I  hope,  Major, 
you  can  remain  awake  until  twelve  o'clock." 

"  In  Crescenz's  society  I  can  answer  for  my- 
self ;  otherwise  I  must  say  I  consider  nine  o'clock 
as  the  most  rational  hour  for  retiring  to  rest." 

"  But  you  will  go  with  us  to  hear  the  high  mass 
at  midnight,  won't  you  ?" 

"Oh,  of  course." 

"  Come,  girls,  assist  me  to  arrange  the  tea 
things  ;  we  will  not,  however,  employ  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton to  make  tea  this  time,  but  he  may  help  to 
carry  the  long  table  out  of  the  next  room  for  us." 

Hamilton  and  Major  Stultz  carried  in  the 
table,  and  everything  was  soon  arranged  for  the 
expected  guests. 


dbe  Gbrfstma0=Gree,  an£>  /BM&nigbt  /ifcags.  75 
CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  CHRISTMAS-TREE,  AND   MIDNIGHT  MASS. 

HTHE  Hoffmanns  arrived,  and  with  them 
*  Count  Raimund.  Hamilton  watched  Hil- 
degarde's  reception  of  the  latter,  and  forgetting 
the  three  weeks  he  had  passed  at  Edelhof,  was 
surprised  to  find  that  she  met  her  cousin  without 
the  slightest  embarrassment ;  he  perceived,  too, 
that  Raimund  had  contrived  to  ingratiate  him- 
self with  Madame  Rosenberg ;  she  greeted  him 
with  a  familiar  nod,  as  he  entered,  and  the  chil- 
dren's manner  (no  bad  test  of  intimacy)  con- 
vinced him  that  Raimund's  visits  must  have  been 
numerous  during  his  absence.  Fritz  smiled 
saucily,  and  raised  his  hand  to  his  forehead  in 
military  salute  ;  Gustle,  with  his  usual  rudeness, 
seized  his  coat,  and  began  to  swing  himself  back- 
wards and  forwards  by  it :  while  Peppy  took 
possession  of  the  unbuckled  sword,  and  rode 
round  the  room  upon  it,  until  his  mother,  irri- 
tated by  the  noise,  forcibly  took  it  from  him,  and 
shoving  him  with  his  brother  Gustle  into  the  next 
room,  declared  that  if  they  were  so  ill-behaved, 
the  infant  Christ  would  pass  by  their  house,  and 
they  would  get  neither  Christmas-boxes  nor  bon- 
bons, "  Do  you  know,"  she  said,  turning  to 
Count  Raimund,  "  that  Mr.  Hamilton  is  quite 
shocked  at  my  telling  the  children  such  stories  ? 
He  says "  but  the  entrance  of  the  Bergers 


76  tTbe  Initials. 


and  Madame  Lustig  gave  her  thoughts  another 
direction.  The  latter  was  a  red-faced,  stout, 
jolly-looking  widow  of  at  least  fifty  years  of  age  ; 
her  nose  was  extremely  thick,  and  her  forehead 
extremely  low  ;  she  seemed  very  glad  to  see  every- 
body, and  made  tremendously  low  curtsies  in  all 
directions.  Madame  Berger  immediately  took 
possession  of  Hamilton,  saying  that  she  had  a  lot  of 
messages  to  deliver  from  Theodor  Biedermann. 

"  I  hope  he  intends  to  come  here  to-morrow  ; 
I  shall  be  glad  to  see  him,  and  commence  my 
studies  again." 

"  If  we  may  believe  him,"  said  Madame  Berger, 
laughing,  "  Hildegarde  has  made  great  progress 
during  your  absence  ;  he  says  she  writes  German 
as  well  as  French  now,  and  that  is  saying  a  good 
deal ;  but  he  complained  bitterly  of  the  noise 
which  the  children  made  while  he  was  giving  his 
lessons,  and  regretted  the  tranquillity  of  your 
room.  Of  course,  I  reminded  him  of  the  day  I 
found  you  fencing  !  " 

"  Our  lesson  was  over  when  you  arrived  ;  I 
assure  you  we  were  always  exceedingly  attentive 
and  well-behaved." 

"  And  Hildegarde  sitting  there  reading,  as  if 
she  were  quite  alone.  By-the-by,  have  you  be- 
gun your  English  studies  with  her  again  ?  " 

"  Not  yet ;  but  I  am  quite  ready,  if  she  feels 
disposed." 

"  You  intend,  perhaps,  to  enter  the  ranks  of  her 
adorers  ?  " 


Gbe  Gbrt0tmas*Cree,  an&  jflfciJmtflbt  dBase.  77 


"  I  only  aspire  to  being  among  her  friends  at 
present." 

"  But  I  can  tell  you  she  will  not  be  satisfied 
with  anything  less  than  the  most  unlimited  de- 
votion." 

"  I  dare  say  she  will  find  people  enough  will- 
ing to  comply  with  her  demands. 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  If  everything  ends  like 
the  Zedwitz  affair,  it  would  be  better  if  she 
turned  her  mind  to  something  rational.  You 
know,"  she  added,  lowering  her  voice  confiden- 
tially, "  you  know  that  at  Seon,  and  also  here,  she 
encouraged  Count  Max  Zedwitz  in  every  possible 
manner  ;  met  him  in  the  cloisters,  and  sat  beside 
him  at  table  every  day  at  Seon,  and  here  let 
him  know  every  time  she  went  on  a  walking 
party  -  " 

"  I  think,"  said  Hamilton,  "  you  are  rather 
mistaken  in  supposing  that  she  -  " 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  at  all  mistaken.  She  made 
him,  in  the  most  artful,  deliberate  manner,  so  in 
love  that  he  actually  took  it  into  his  head  to 
marry  her.  Such  an  idea,  you  know  !  And  his 
father  a  knight  of  St.  George,  and  all  that." 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  his  father  being  a 
knight  of  St.  George  could  make  any  differ- 
ence." 

"  What  !  When  they  can  prove  sixteen  noble 
generations  on  both  sides  !  When  Count  Max 
can  become  a  knight  of  St.  George  whenever  he 
pleases  !  When  marrying  a  person  who  is  not 


78  Gbe  trnttfate. 


noble  would  deprive  his  children  and  children's 
children  of  the  right  of  claiming  an  order  which 
can  be  obtained  on  no  other  terms." 

"Ah,  I  understand." 

"  Hildegarde,"  continued  Madame  Berger, 
"  was  always  desperately  proud,  and  her  greatest 
ambition  is  to  marry  some  one  of  rank.  A  man 
must  be  a  count  or  baron  at  least  before  she 
thinks  him  worthy  of  her  notice.  Now,  such  a 
man  as  Count  Zedwitz  was  just  what  she  wished, 
and  she  persuaded  him  to  write  a  letter  making 
her  a  formal  offer  of  his  hand  ;  this  she  exhibited 
in  triumph  to  her  father,  who,  however,  had  re- 
ceived about  the  same  time  from  the  old  Count 
a  most  furious  epistle,  telling  him  that  his  son's 
fortune  and  rank  entitled  him  to  look  for  a  wife 
among  the  first  families  in  Germany — that  a  mar- 
riage with  Mademoiselle  Rosenberg  now,  or  at 
any  future  period,  was  totally  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. He  supposed  that  Mr.  Rosenberg  would 
not  desire  any  other  sort  of  connection  for  his 
daughter,  and  therefore  had  better  join  him  in 
putting  an  end  to  any  further  intimacy.  This, 
with  a  few  other  impertinences  of  the  same  de- 
scription, made  even  good,  quiet  Mr.  Rosenberg 
outrageous,  and  he  insisted  on  Hildegarde's 
refusing  Count  Max — if  that  be  called  a  refusal 
where  marriage  was  a  chimera  !  " 

"  Not  so  much  a  chimera  as  you  imagine," 
said  Hamilton,  "  for  Zedwitz  had  procured  the 
necessary  security — as  I  happen  to  know,  for  he 


Gbe  Gbristma6*aree,  anD  Attmfgbt  flbass.  79 

himself  told  me  so  at  Edelhof — and  his  father 
cannot  disinherit  him." 

"  So  !  Well,  if  that  be  the  case,  Mr.  Rosen- 
berg might  as  well  have  pocketed  the  affront — 
namely,  the  letter,  and  let  his  daughter  marry 
him.  Perhaps,  after  his  anger  has  cooled,  he 
may  wish  he  had  acted  differently,  or  at  least 
wish  that  he  had  left  an  opening  for  a  renewal 
of  the  affair." 

"  Hildegarde  has  made  a  great  sacrifice  to 
please  her  father,"  observed  Hamilton. 

"  Not  so  great  as  you  suppose  ;  for  Crescenz 
told  me  that  she  was  quite  as  angry  as  her  father 
about  the  letter." 

"  Of  that  I  have  no  doubt ;  but,  nevertheless, 
the  sacrifice  was  great." 

"  You  mean  on  account  of  his  rank,  or  the 
fortune  which  his  miserly  old  father  is  always 
increasing  ?  Hildegarde  has  such  an  exalted 
idea  of  her  beauty  that  she  imagines  she  can 
find  a  Count  Zedwitz  whenever  she  pleases. 
Crescenz  says  she  took  the  whole  business  very 
coolly  after  the  first  burst  of  anger  was  over. 
When  Count  Zedwitz  had  left,  her  father,  as 
usual,  praised  her  conduct  extravagantly,  and, 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  thanked  her  for  her  com- 
pliance with  his  wishes.  What  do  you  think  she 
did  ?  Told  him  in  her  customary  ungracious 
manner  that  she  did  not  deserve  either  his 
praises  or  thanks,  for  that  it  had  caused  her  no 
great  effort  to  dismiss  Count  Zedwitz  !  " 


8o  Gbe  flnitiale. 


"  Extraordinary  —  inexplicable  girl  !  "  mur- 
mured Hamilton. 

"  Not  at  all,"  cried  Madame  Berger,  colouring, 
"  not  at  all ;  for,  added  to  her  pride,  she  is 
naturally  violent  and  has  strong  passions.  I  am 
convinced  she  will  never  marry  anyone  who  is 
not  of  rank,  but  it  is  both  possible  and  probable 
that  she  may  take  it  into  her  head  to  fall  desper- 
ately in  love  with  some  one  whom  she  considers 
beneath  her.  I  have  strong  suspicion  that  she 
has  done  so,  and  that  Theodor  Biedermann  is 
the  favoured  individual." 

"  Biedermann  !  "  repeated  Hamilton,  amazed. 

"  Yes,  Theodor  Biedermann  ;  but  with  him  she 
will  find  all  her  arts  and  vehemence  useless.  He 
scarcely  even  allows  her  to  be  good-looking  !  " 

"I  think  you  are  altogether  mistaken  about 
her,"  began  Hamilton.  "  I  never  perceived  the 
slightest " 

"  You  have  been  absent  more  than  three 
weeks,"  said  Madame  Berger,  interrupting  him. 
"  If  I  have  made  a  right  guess,  Hildegarde  will 
receive  a  severe  lesson,  which  I  hope  may  be  of 
use  to  her  !  " 

"  How  do  you  mean  ? " 

"  I  mean  that  Theodor  will  treat  her  love  with 
the  scorn  which  it  deserves." 

Hamilton  shook  his  head  and  laughed — rather 
ironically. 

"  How  long  are  we  to  continue  in  the  dark  ? " 
asked  Mr.  Rosenberg  from  the  other  end  of  the 


Cbe  Cbrtstma0*aree,  anD  dlM&nfgbt  /ffi>ass.  81 

room.  "  Pray,  Babette,  let  us  have  at  least  a 
pair  of  candles,  that  we  may  not  be  blinded  when 
your  tree  dazzles  our  astonished  eyes  !  " 

The  candles  were  unwillingly  granted,  and 
Madame  Rosenberg  left  the  room  mysteriously 
with  Madame  Lustig. 

"  Come  here,  boys,"  cried  Mr.  Rosenberg. 
"  Let  us  take  our  station  near  the  door,  that  we 
may  enter  first." 

Doctor  Berger  came  towards  Hamilton,  and 
began  a  conversation  about  the  different  ways  of 
celebrating  Christmas  in  different  countries,  and 
the  habit  of  giving  presents  at  that  time  or  on 
New  Year's  Day,  while  Hamilton's  eyes  involun- 
tarily strayed  towards  Hildegarde,  who,  sitting 
at  the  other  end  of  the  room  with  Count  Raimund 
and  Mademoiselle  de  Hoffmann,  was  speaking 
eagerly  with  the  latter,  all  unconscious  that  her 
cousin  was  gazing  at  her  with  an  emotion  which 
his  sanguine  temperament  betrayed  in  rapid 
changes  of  colour,  although  he  did  not  seem  to 
take  any  part  in  the  conversation. 

At  length  a  bell  was  rung,  and  the  door  thrown 
open  which  led  to  the  school-room.  The  chil- 
dren rushed  forward  with  shouts  of  joy,  followed, 
somewhat  tumultuously,  by  their  father  and  his 
guests.  Hamilton  was  the  last,  and  had  more 
time  to  prepare  his  eyes  for  the  blaze  of  light 
which  they  had  to  encounter.  In  the  middle  of 
the  room  was  a  large  round  table,  on  which  was 
placed  a  tall  fir  tree,  hung  with  a  profusion  of 

VOL.  II.— 6 


82  Cbe  initials. 


bon-bons,  of  the  most  varied  colours,  and  spark- 
ling like  gems  as  they  reflected  the  light  of  the 
hundreds  of  wax  tapers  which  were  fastened  on 
the  dark  green  branches  in  their  vicinity.  On 
the  top  of  the  tree  was  a  diminutive  angel, 
dressed  in  gold  and  silver  ;  in  the  moss  which 
covered  the  root  was  a  wax  infant,  surrounded 
by  lambs.  The  table  itself  was  covered  with 
toys  of  every  description,  from  drawing-books 
and  boxes  for  Fritz,  to  drums  and  trumpets  for 
Peppy.  There  were  two  other  tables  with  smaller 
trees,  to  which  Madame  Rosenberg  conducted 
Hildegarde  and  Crescenz.  The  noise  was  exces- 
sive ;  everyone  spoke  and  nobody  listened.  Old 
Hans  and  the  cook  were  not  forgotten  ;  they 
stood,  with  their  Christmas-boxes  and  pockets 
of  gingerbread,  laughing  spectators  near  the 
door. 

Hamilton  received  a  cigar-case  from  Madame 
Rosenberg,  which  she  had  worked  most  elabo- 
rately for  him  during  his  absence,  and  from 
Crescenz  a  scarlet  purse,  glittering  with  steel 
beads  ;  this  he  particularly  admired,  while  Major 
Stultz  told  him  he  was  half  inclined  to  be  jealous, 
it  was  so  much  prettier  than  the  one  which  she 
had  made  for  him.  The  presents  which  Hamil- 
ton offered  in  return  were  accepted  with  the  best 
grace  imaginable,  and  he  now  amused  himself 
watching  Crescenz's  face,  as  she  opened  the 
various  parcels  and  inspected  the  contents  of  the 
numerous  boxes  and  caskets  on  her  table.  Some 


Gbe  Gbrl0tmas*Creet  and  AMdnktbt  /foass.  83 

natural  disappointment  was  at  times  legible  when, 
instead  of  the  expected  jewels,  respectable  rows 
of  forks  and  spoons  met  her  eager  eyes  ;  but  at 
length  a  case  of  red  morocco  disclosed  such 
treasures,  that  Hamilton,  after  having  listened  to 
her  expressions  of  rapture  for  a  few  minutes, 
moved  towards  Hildegarde,  who  stood  before 
her  table  turning  over  the  leaves  of  some  books, 
which  had  been  placed  beside  the  expected  ball- 
dress  and  wreath  of  roses. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  offer  you,"  she  said,  slightly 
blushing  as  he  approached,  "  nothing  but  some 
bon-bons"  and  she  began  to  untie  some  from  her 
tree  as  she  spoke. 

Hamilton  took  them,  and  with  unusual  diffi- 
dence, presented  the  case  containing  the  watch. 
She  had  no  sooner  opened  it,  than  she  blushed 
excessively,  and  endeavouring  to  replace  it  in  his 
hands — failing  in  her  endeavour,  she  put  it  on 
the  table,  saying,  "  Mr.  Hamilton,  I  cannot  pos- 
sibly accept  anything  of  such  value." 

"  Your  mother  and  sister  have  not  pained  me 
by  making  any  difficulties,"  he  said,  reproachfully. 

"  Then  you  must  have  given  them  something 
very  different." 

This  was  undeniable,  and  Hamilton  was  silent. 
Mr.  Rosenberg  came  to  his  daughter's  assistance, 
to  Hamilton's  annoyance  agreed  with  her,  and 
"  hoped  the  watch  was  not  definitely  purchased." 

"Of  course  it  is,"  said  Hamilton;  "I  never 
dreamed  of  such  a  trifling  thing  being  refused." 


84  Gbe  flnitials. 


"It  is  only  trifling  in  size,"  said  Mr.  Rosen- 
berg holding  it  toward  his  wife,  who  had  joined 
them.  "  Fortunately,  however,  a  watch  will  be 
quite  as  useful  to  you  as  to  Hildegarde,  as  you 
can  use  it  yourself." 

"  But  unfortunately,  I  have  already  two,  one 
which  I  received  from  my  uncle,  and  one  from 
my  mother,"  said  Hamilton,  in  a  tone  of  great 
vexation. 

"  If  that  be  the  case,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg, 
in  a  low  voice  to  her  husband,  "  perhaps " 

"  Babette  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  you  don't  know 
the  value  of  such  a  watch  as  this !  " 

"  Englishmen  do  not  consider  value  as  we  do 
— I  only  thought  if  Mr.  Hamilton  had  really 
bought  it  for  Hildegarde,  and  cannot  use  it  him- 
self, it  will  be  ungracious  if  she  refuses  it." 

"  Very  ungracious,  indeed  !  "  cried  Hamilton 
eagerly. 

Madame  Rosenberg  drew  her  husband  aside, 
and  began  a  whispered  discussion.  Hildegarde 
leaned  against  her  table  in  painful  embarrass- 
ment, while  Hamilton  quietly  withdrew  from  his 
pocket  a  long  gold  chain  which  he  had  not  before 
ventured  to  produce,  and  attached  it  to  the  watch. 

"  I  shall  not  be  allowed  to  accept  it,"  said  Hil- 
degarde, shaking  her  head. 

"  You  will,"  said  Hamilton. 

He  was  right  ;  her  father,  in  a  reluctant,  half- 
annoyed  manner,  gave  his  consent.  "  Thank 
you  !  Oh,  thank  you  !  "  cried  Hamilton,  with 


ftbe  Cbristma0*Crce,  anD  dlMonigbt  /fcaas.  85 

such  warmth  that  Madame  Berger  came  skipping 
from  the  other  side  of  the  room,  exclaiming,  "  I 
positively  must  know  what  Hildegarde  has  given 
you  ;  you  seem  so  uncommonly  pleased  !  " 

"  That  is  a  secret,"  said  Hamilton,  laughingly 
turning  away,  while  she  pursued  him  with  guesses. 

"It  is  not  the  half-finished  travelling-bag,  at 
all  events,  for  you  could  not  put  that  into  your 
pocket.  Nor  is  it  a  purse,  or  a  cigar-case.  Oh, 
I  know,  a  pair  of  slippers,  or  a  portfolio  worked 
on  canvas  !  You  may  as  well  tell  me,  for  I  shall 
hear  at  all  events  from  Crescenz  !  Have  you 
seen  what  splendid  ornaments  the  Major  has 
given  her  ?  And  the  three  bracelets  ?  And  then 
such  droves  of  coffee-spoons  as  her  god-mother 
has  sent  her  from  Augsburg — and  Cressy  is  so 
childish  that  she  does  not  care  in  the  least  for 
spoons  ? " 

Madame  Rosenberg  went  round  the  room  dis- 
tributing bon-bons  and  trifling  presents,  which 
sometimes  caused  amusement  when  they  con- 
tained an  allusion  to  well-known  foibles  or  pecu- 
liarities. The  tapers  on  the  tree  were  nearly 
burned  out.  Mr.  Rosenberg  desired  old  Hans 
to  extinguish  them,  and  having  placed  candles 
on  the  table,  the  children  were  left  to  play  with 
their  newly-acquired  treasures,  and  the  rest  of 
the  party  adjourned  to  the  drawing-room. 

Everyone  seemed  happy  excepting  Raimund, 
who,  with  a  flushed  face  and  contracted  brow, 
took  the  place  assigned  him  beside  his  betrothed, 


86  ftbe  Knitials. 


and  poured  into  her  ear  at  intervals  his  discon- 
tented observations  ;  her  good-humoured  laugh- 
ing answers  appearing  to  act  like  fuel  on  the 
malevolent  fire  burning  within  him.  At  length 
he  suddenly  started  from  his  chair,  and  pleading 
business  of  importance  at  the  barracks,  he  left  the 
room  with  little  ceremony,  and  negligently  trailed 
his  sword  after  him  along  the  corridor. 

"  Well,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg,  as  she 
carved  a  prettily-decorated  cake  into  neat  slices  ; 
"  well,  we  can  do  without  him,  now  that  the  Major 
is  here  to  take  his  place  at  whist  or  taroc,  but  I 
cannot  conceive  what  has  put  him  out  of  temper ! " 

"  Who  is  out  of  temper  ?  "  asked  Madame  de 
Hoffmann,  who,  as  usual,  had  only  heard  the  last 
words. 

"  Nobody,  mamma,"  answered  her  daughter 
quickly.  "  Poor  Oscar,"  she  added,  turning  to 
Hildegarde;  "  I  believe  he  is  annoyed  at  not  being 
able  to  give  such  presents  as  your  sister  has  re- 
ceived from  Major  Stultz.  It  would  have  been 
better  had  we  not  come  to  your  Christmas  fete  ; 
I  had  no  idea  it  would  be  so  splendid." 

"  That  is  a  fancy  which  papa  and  mamma  have 
in  common,"  answered  Hildegarde,  "  Crescenz 
being  a  bride  has  made  our  Christmas  unusually 
brilliant,  I  suppose.  I  dare  say,  however,  your 
tree  was  very  handsome.  Why  did  you  not  in- 
vite us  to  see  it  ?  " 

"  Oscar  did  not  wish  it — and  he  forbade  my 
saying  that  this  bracelet  was  from  him,  when 


tlbc  Cbristmass^ree,  an£>  flMDnigbt  fl&ass.  87 

Crescenz  showed  me  hers.  I  hope  he  does  not 
think  I  expected  or  wished  for  such  presents  as 
she  has  received  !  By-the-by,  dear,  do  tell  your 
mother  not  to  make  any  remarks  when  he  is  a 
little  odd  at  times  ;  for  mamma,  who,  you  know, 
at  first  so  wished  and  promoted  our  marriage, 
has  lately  been  endeavouring,  under  all  sorts  of 
pretences,  to  break  it  off.  If  it  were  not  for 
Oscar's  father's  extraordinary  patience  with  her, 
I  do  believe  our  engagement  would  be  at  an  end 
at  once.  I  dare  not  tell  her  how  sombre  and 
dissatisfied  he  has  become  of  late  ;  she  would  at- 
tribute it  to  the  supposed  preference  for  you, 
which  I  cannot  persuade  her  is  an  absurdity,  al- 
though she  begins  to  see  that  it  is  not  returned 
on  your  part.  Madame  Berger  has  been  endeav- 
ouring to  enlighten  her " 

"  By  telling  her  something  very  ill-natured  of 
me,  most  probably,"  said  Hildegarde,  colouring. 

"She  told  us  a  long  story  about  that  good- 
natured  Count  Zedwitz  this  morning,  of  which  I 
do  not  believe  anything,  excepting  that  he  wished 
to  marry  you,  and  that  his  family  perhaps  were 
opposed  to  the  match  ;  and  she  ended  by  saying 
that  you  had  taken  a  fancy  to  that  young  student, 
Biedermann,  who  is  giving  you  lessons  in 
German." 

"  Just  like  her  !  "  exclaimed  Hildegarde,  in- 
dignantly. 

"  Oscar,  who  was  present,  laughed  excessively  ; 
indeed  he  was  so  amused  at  her  chattering,  that 


Cbe  -ffnttfate. 


he  became  quite  gay,  and  was  more  amiable  than 
I  have  known  him  for  a  long  time,  until  he  came 
here  and  saw  Crescenz's  bracelets,  and  that 
watch  which  Mr.  Hamilton  gave  you." 

Hildegarde  bent  down  her  head  to  hide  a 
blush  of  which  she  was  but  too  conscious.  "  I 
have  no  intention  of  keeping  the  watch  longer 
than  this  evening,"  she  said,  after  a  thoughtful 
pause  ;  "  it  is  a  much  too  valuable  present  to  ac- 
cept from  a — a  stranger — but  that  is  of  no  con- 
sequence to  Oscar,  who  might  easily  have  found 
some  better  employment  than  laughing  at  me 
with  Lina  Berger  !  " 

"  My  dear  creature,  he  was  laughing  at  her  !  He 
says  she  was  jealous  about  that  little  Biedermann !" 

"  Pshaw  !  "  cried  Hildegarde,  impatiently. 

"Will  you  not  at  least  tell  me  the  true  state  of 
the  case  about  Count  Zedwitz  ? " 

"  Not  now — not  now,  Marie — in  fact  I  never 
wish  to  mention  the  subject  again,"  said  Hilde- 
garde, arising  abruptly  and  going  towards  the 
door,  which,  however,  she  had  no  sooner  reached, 
than  she  was  recalled  by  her  mother,  and  desired 
to  carry  round  the  cake  to  the  expectant  com- 
pany, who  had  been  already  supplied  with  weak 
tea  strongly  perfumed  with  vanilla. 

Hamilton  was  so  occupied  by  Madame  Berger, 
that  he  did  not  observe  Hildegarde  as  she  passed 
him  ;  his  companion's  eyes  followed  her  for  some 
time  furtively,  and  then  turning  to  him  she  ob- 
served with  a  laugh,  "  Did  you  not  see  how  Hil- 


GbrfstmagsSree,  anfc  /BMZmfgbt  flbass.  89 

degarde's  hand  trembled  as  she  offered  us  the 
cake  ?  I  am  sure  she  has  been  in  a  passion, 
though  I  cannot  imagine  about  what,  as  she  has 
only  been  speaking  with  her  friend  Mademoiselle 
de  Hoffmann  !  Berger  has  become  physician  to 
the  Hoffmanns  ever  since  your  illness  ;  they 
took  such  a  fancy  to  him,  and  are  so  civil  to  me, 
that  I  often  visit  them  now.  By-the-by,  that 
Count  Raimund  is  charming,  but  he  does  not 
seem  to  care  in  the  least  for  his  betrothed,  who 
certainly  is  not  at  all  pretty.  She  did  not  look 
half  pleased  at  his  talking  so  much  to  me  this 
morning  !  A  little  pug-faced  person  such  as  she 
is  has  no  sort  of  right  to  be  jealous,  you  know, 
and  the  sooner  she  learns  to  bear  his  paying 
attentions  to  other  women  the  better  !" 

"  How  kind  of  you  to  give  her  such  a  lesson  ? " 

"  I  see,  by  your  manner,  that  you  think  me 
ill-natured,"  said  Madame  Berger. 

"  Or  malicious  !  "  said  Hamilton. 

"  Perhaps  I  was  a  little,"  said  Madame  Berger, 
with  an  affectation  of  repentive  pensiveness. 
"  After  all,  Mademoiselle  de  Hoffmann  is  a 
good-natured,  a  most  inoffensive  person  !  " 

"  She  is  sensible  and  well-informed  too,"  said 
Hamilton,  warmly. 

"  You  take  your  opinion  from  Hildegarde, 
who  you  know  has  no  medium.  Pray  don't  ask 
her  what  she  thinks  of  me,  that  's  all.  See,  she 
will  not  offer  us  any  cake  this  time,  because  we 
took  no  notice  of  her  when  she  passed  before." 


tlbe  ITnitfals. 


"  I  did  not  see  her,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  I  be- 
lieve I  was  admiring  the  ring  which  you  told  me 
had  been  given  you  by  one  of  the  Doctor's 
patients." 

"  But  the  ring  was  still  on  my  finger,  and  per- 
haps she  thought " 

"  What  ? "  asked  Hamilton,  laughing,  as  he 
followed  Hildegarde,  and  obtained  the  piece  of 
cake  which  he  requested.  Madame  Lustig,  who 
did  not  perceive  his  vicinity,  observed  to  Dr. 
Berger,  "  Your  wife  is  getting  on  at  a  great  rate 
with  that  young  Englishman  to-night." 

"  It  's  a  way  she  has,"  he  replied,  shugging 
his  shoulders,  "  opposition  only  makes  her  worse, 
so  I  generally  pretend  not  to  see  her.  At  all 
events,  I  have  discovered  long  ago,  that  the 
Englishman's  heart  and  thoughts  are  else- 
where, even  when  he  is  apparently  completely 
engrossed  in  my  Lina." 

Hamilton  looked  at  Hildegarde,  and  thought 
he  perceived  something  like  a  smile  playing 
round  the  corners  of  her  mouth,  as  she  turned 
away — he  walked  slowly  to  his  seat,  and  began  to 
eat  his  cake  with  an  earnestness  which  soon 
became  offensive  to  his  lively  neighbour. 

"  I  suppose  she  forbade  you  talking  any  more 
to  me  ?"  she  observed,  after  some  time. 

"  Do  you  mean  Madame  Lustig  ? " 

"  Madame  Fiddlestick  ! — you  know  I  mean 
Hildegarde." 

"  She  did  not  speak  to  me." 


Cbri8tma6=Gree,  and  /BM&rtiabt  flbass.  g1 

"  Perhaps  a  look  was  sufficient  ?  " 

"  She  did  not  look  at  me." 

"  But  you  looked  at  her  ? " 

"  Undoubtedly — I  like  looking  at  her — and  at 
you,  too,  if  you  have  no  objection." 

"  I  see  I  shall  be  obliged  to  complain  of  you 
to  the  Doctor — and  I  tell  you  he  is  horribly  jeal- 
ous at  times !  " 

"  How  very  considerate  of  him  to  stand  with 
his  back  to  us  all  this  time,"  said  Hamilton, 
laughing,  "  one  would  almost  think  he  did  it  on 
purpose  !  But  see,  the  children  are  coming  to 
say  good  night,  and  the  Hoffmanns  seem  to  be 
going " 

"  I  suppose  the  Doctor  will  insist  on  my  going, 
too  !  "  said  Madame  Berger  ;  "he  has  no  sort  of 
consideration  for  me,  and  the  idea  will  never 
enter  his  old  head,  that  I  should  like  to  go  to  the 
midnight  mass  with  you — all." 

The  Doctor  did  insist,  and  the  company 
departed  together.  Mr.  Rosenberg  at  once  de- 
clared his  intention  to  go  to  bed  ;  his  wife  said 
she  would  doze  on  the  sofa  until  it  was  time  to 
go  to  church  ;  Major  Stultz  placed  himself,  as 
usual,  beside  Crescenz  and  her  work-basket,  and 
began  a  whispered  conversation,  which,  how- 
ever, in  time  perceptibly  flagged,  for  Crescenz's 
fingers  moved  more  quickly  than  her  tongue — 
the  monotony  of  his  own  voice  on  the  otherwise 
unbroken  stillness  in  the  room  naturally  pro- 
duced drowsiness,  with  which  the  Major  long 


92  Gbe  flnttfats. 


and  valiantly  combated — but  it  was  in  vain  he 
endeavoured  to  sit  bolt  upright  in  his  chair, 
occasionally  staring  wildly  around  him.  After 
having  made  a  succession  of  sleepy  obeisances, 
of  such  profundity  that  Crescenz's  demure  smile 
almost  verged  into  laughter,  his  arms  sank  at 
length  heavily  on  his  outspread  legs,  his  head 
sought  support  on  the  uncomfortable  low  back  of 
his  chair,  his  jaw  fell,  and  the  long-drawn  breath- 
ing degenerated  into  snores  both  loud  and  long. 

Such  influence  had  Hildegarde  acquired  over 
Hamilton,  that  the  fear  of  incurring  her  dis- 
pleasure prevented  him  from  laughing  aloud,  or 
at  first  even  looking  up  ;  after  some  time,  how- 
ever, pressing  his  lips  firmly  against  his  book, 
his  eyes  glanced  over  it  with  a  mixed  expression 
of  mirth  and  curiosity,  from  one  sister  to  the 
other.  Crescenz  seemed  embarrassed,  but  there 
was  not  a  particle  of  either  dislike  or  impatience 
in  the  look  which  she  bestowed  on  the  sleeper. 
She  bent  towards  her  sister,  and  said  in  a  whis- 
per, "  If  I  could  manage  to  put  a  sofa  cushion 
on  the  back  of  the  chair  !  " 

"  An  excellent  idea,"  said  Hildegarde,  taking 
up  one,  and  preparing  to  assist  her. 

"  Give  me  the  cushion,  and  do  you  move  his 
head,"  said  Crescenz,  timidly. 

"  No,  dear,  that  is  your  office,"  replied  her  sis- 
ter, half  laughing. 

"  But  if  he  should  wake,"  cried  Crescenz, 
drawing  back." 


Gbe  Cbristma6*o:reet  anfc  Aidntgbt  abase.  93 

"  He  will  scarcely  be  angry,"  said  Hildegarde, 
approaching  with  the  cushion. 

Crescenz  took  it  from  her,  and  began  to  insin- 
uate it  between  his  head  and  the  chair — her 
movements  were  so  gentle  that  she  succeeded 
without  awakening  him — his  mouth  closed  with  a 
slight  jerk,  while  uttering  a  grunt  of  sleepy  satis- 
faction, as  his  chin  dropped  on  his  breast. 

Nothing  could  be  less  attractive  than  Major 
Stultz's  face  at  this  moment,  with  his  puffed-out 
crimson  cheeks  and  wrinkled  double  chin — but 
Crescenz  saw  him  not ;  with  a  good-humoured 
'smile  she  tried  to  arrange  still  better  the  sup- 
porting cushion,  and  then  stood  behind  him  with 
all  the  immovable  serenity  of  a  Caryatide.  Hil- 
degarde walked  to  the  window,  and  holding  her 
hands  at  each  side  of  her  temples,  endeavoured 
to  look  out  into  the  darkness.  "  We  shall  have 
rain,  I  fear,"  she  observed  to  Hamilton,  who  had 
followed  her. 

He  opened  the  window — it  was  a  cold,  cheer- 
less night,  the  flickering  lamps  throwing  un- 
steady gleams  of  light  across  the  street. 

"  The  weather  is  not  very  inviting,"  said  Hil- 
degarde, drawing  back  into  the  warm  room  with 
a  slight  shudder. 

Hamilton  leaned  out  for  some  time  in  silence, 
and  then  whispered  — "  Who  is  that  ?  "  He 
pointed  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  street, 
where  a  figure,  muffled  in  a  cloak,  had  been 
standing  opposite  the  house,  and  now  began 


94  Gbe  flntttals. 


to  walk  quickly  away.  "  Do  you  know  who 
that  was  ? " 

"  I  think  it  was  Count  Zedwitz,"  answered 
Hildegarde. 

"  You  knew  he  was  there  ?  You  came  to  the 
window  to  see  him  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Hildegarde,  quietly. 

"  Then  how  could  you  know  him  so  di- 
rectly ? " 

"  I  recognised  the  cloak  he  used  to  wear  at 
Seon." 

"Ah — yes— true — poor  fellow! "said  Hamilton. 

"  How  inclined  you  are  to  suspect  me  !  "  said 
Hildegarde,  reproachfully. 

"  One  might  suspect,  without  blaming  you,  for 
giving  Zedwitz  a  gleam  of  hope  to  lighten  his 
despair." 

"  I  should  blame  myself,  for  it  would  be  un- 
pardonable coquetry  !  " 

"  Coquetry  !  when  you  really  love  him  !  " 

"  Love  him  !  "  repeated  Hildegarde,  hastily — 
"  No — yes — that  is,  I  like  him — I  like  him  very 
much." 

At  this  moment  the  church  bells  in  Munich 
began  simultaneously  to  send  forth  loud  peals. 
Madame  Rosenberg  raised  herself  on  her  pillow, 
and  exclaimed  :  "  What  are  you  about,  Hilde- 
garde ?  Shut  the  window,  and  don't  let  the  cold 
night  air  into  the  room." 

Hamilton  closed  the  window.  When  he  looked 
round  he  perceived  Major  Stultz  with  the  sofa- 


Gbrt6tmag*£ree,  and  /biftnigbt  /Bass.  95 

cushion  on  his  knees,  offering  a  profusion  of 
thanks  to  Crescenz,  who  stood  smiling  beside  him. 

In  a  few  minutes  they  were  on  their  way  to 
the  Frauen  church.  It  was  crowded  to  excess, 
and  brilliantly  lighted,  chiefly  by  the  number  of 
wax  tapers  which  had  been  brought  with  the 
prayer  books,  and  now  burned  brightly  before 
each  kneeling  or  sitting  figure. 

The  music  was  excellent :  and  as  Hamilton  soon 
observed  that  extraordinary  devotion  was  chiefly 
practised  by  the  female  part  of  the  congregation 
who  occupied  the  pews,  and  that  those  in  his  vicin- 
ity who  stood  in  the  aisle  amused  themselves  by 
looking  around  them  in  all  directions,  he  by  de- 
grees followed  their  example,  and  his  tall  figure 
enabling  him  to  overlook  the  sea  of  heads  about 
him,  he  gratified  his  curiosity  to  the  fullest  ex- 
tent. He  observed  that  Crescenz's  eyes  stole  not 
unfrequently  over  her  prayerbook  to  bestow  a 
furtive  glance  on  him  or  on  Major  Stultz  who 
stood  near  her,  but  Hildegarde  was  immovable — 
her  profound  devotion  surprised  him.  She 
spoke  so  much  less  of  religion  than  her  sister, 
that  he  had  come  to  the  erroneous  conclusion 
that  she  was  less  religious.  The  burning  taper 
threw  a  strong  light  on  her  bent  head  and  clasped 
hands  ;  and  as  he  suddenly  recollected  some  re- 
mark of  Zedwitz's  about  the  Madonna-like  ex- 
pression of  her  regular  features,  he  unconsciously 
turned  to  seek  his  friend,  to  ask  him  when  and 
where  he  had  so  spoken.  His  astonishment  was 


96  Gbe  Unltials. 


lost  in  emotion  on  perceiving  that  Zedwitz  was 
actually  not  far  distant  from  him,  his  whole  ap- 
pearance wild  and  disordered,  his  haggard  eyes 
fixed  on  Hildegarde's  motionless  figure.  The 
service  ended,  she  closed  her  book,  and  rose 
calmly,  while  Madame  Rosenberg  extinguished 
the  three  tapers  and  deposited  them  in  her  reti- 
cule. As  the  lights  one  after  another  disappeared, 
there  was  a  universal  move  towards  the  nearest 
doors.  Hamilton  was  about  to  follow  the  Rosen- 
bergs when  he  felt  himself  drawn  in  a  contrary 
direction  by  a  powerful  arm,  and  Zedwitz  whis- 
pered, "  One  word  before  you  go  home  ;  "  and 
they  were  soon  brought  outside  the  church  with 
the  crowd.  It  was  raining  torrents  ;  and  several 
persons  attempted  to  return  again  into  the  aisle, 
while  they  despatched  messengers  or  servants  for 
umbrellas.  The  carriages  rolled  rapidly  away  in 
all  directions,  and  Hamilton  in  a  few  minutes 
was  walking  with  his  friend  under  the  leafless 
trees  in  the  promenade  platz. 

"  I  am  ill,"  said  Zedwitz,  "  really  ill — this  sort 
of  life  is  not  to  be  endured — I  shall  get  a  fever, 
or  go  mad,  if  I  remain  here." 

"  You  do  look  ill,"  said  Hamilton,  "  and  change 
of  air  and  scene  might  be  of  use  to  you — but  is 
it  advisable  to  remain  out  in  this  rain  if  you  are 
feverish  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not  advisable — but  I  cannot  set 
out  on  my  travels  without  taking  leave  of  you." 

"  Travels  !  where  do  you  mean  to  go  ? " 


<Xbe  Cbristmas*aree,  anD  dftiCmfcibt  /toasg.  97 

"  To  Paris — or  Rome — or  Athens — or  Jerusa- 
lem." 

"  Will  your  father  consent  ?  " 

"  I  think  so.  To-morrow  I  intend  to  go  to 
Lengheim  and  commence  negotiations — I  have 
determined  on  quitting  the  army  at  all  events ; 
for  I  have  no  fancy  for  country  quarters,  and  as 
to  remaining  in  Munich,  the  thing  is  impossible. 
What  are  all  my  resolutions  when  I  see  her  ?  and 
see  her  I  do — continually — although  unseen  by 
her,  or  any  of  her  family." 

"  You  were  in  the  street  this  evening,  I  know. 
She  recognised  your  cloak  immediately." 

"  My  cloak,  ah  !  very  true — I  must  have  an- 
other— adieu,  Hamilton,  I  will  not  detain  you 
longer  in  the  rain — we  shall  scarcely  meet  again 
before  I  leave " 

"  Write  to  me  then,"  said  Hamilton.  "  I  should 
like  to  know  where  you  are  to  be  found.  Per- 
haps I  may  join  you  in  the  spring." 

"  You  shall  hear  from  me,"  cried  Zedwitz, 
seizing  his  hand  and  holding  it  firmly.  "  One 
word  more — promise  me  to  act  honourably  by 
Hildegarde,  and  not  to  take  advantage  of  her 
isolated  situation  when  her  sister  has  left  the 
house." 

"  I  have  never  thought  of  acting  otherwise," 
replied  Hamilton,  calmly. 

"  I  suppose  I  must  be  satisfied  with  this  an- 
swer," said  Zedwitz,  wringing  his  friend's  hand 
as  he  hurried  away. 

VOL.  II.— 7 


Gbe  flntttate. 


It  was  too  late  to  overtake  the  Rosenbergs, 
nevertheless  Hamilton  walked  quickly  home. 
He  was  surprised  to  find  the  house-door  open, 
the  staircase  perfectly  dark,  and  several  persons 
speaking  at  different  distances  upon  it.  On  the 
third  story  Walburg,  who  was  endeavouring  to 
open  the  door  of  the  Rosenbergs'  apartment, 
was  loudly  assuring  her  mistress  that  when  she 
left  the  house  with  the  umbrellas  the  lamp  had 
been  burning — she  had  trimmed  it  on  her  way 
downstairs.  Major  Stultz  and  Crescenz  were 
not  far  distant,  for  they  occasionally  laughed,  and 
joined  in  the  conversation.  Hamilton  began  to 
grope  his  way  along  the  passage  ;  as  he  gained 
the  foot  of  the  stairs,  Hildegarde,  who  had  prob- 
ably only  reached  the  first  landing-place,  ex- 
claimed :  "  Is  that  you,  Mr.  Hamilton  ?  You 
had  better  wait  until  we  have  a  light." 

Before  he  had  time  to  speak,  a  voice  quite 
close  to  her  answered  for  him. 

"  You  have  startled  me,"  cried  Hildegarde, 
"  I  thought  you  were  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs." 

Not  a  little  surprised  to  find  himself  in  the 
presence  of  a  second  self,  he  stood  still  to  hear 
what  would  follow. 

"  How  did  you  happen  to  be  separated  from 
us  ? "  asked  Hildegarde. 

"  Met  some  friends  at  the  church  door,  and 
stopped  to  speak  to  them,"  replied  the  voice  in 
French. 

"  You  must  be  completely  wet !  " 


Cbristmas*Cree,  anD  /BMDnfgbt  /Bbass.  99 

"Not  at  all." 

Hildegarde  laughed. 

"  You  do  not  believe  me  !  Feel  my  arm — not 
even  damp  ! " 

A  pause  ensued — perhaps  the  arm  was  felt — 
the  midnight  representative  lowered  his  voice 
and  spoke  eagerly.  Hamilton  advanced  a  few 
steps  and  heard  the  concluding  words — "  Surely, 
surely,  if  you  consider  me  a  friend,  you  will  let 
me  know  the  true  state  of  the  case.  Is  it 
friendship  for  Mademoiselle  de  Hoffmann  that 
makes  you  of  late  avoid  your  cousin  with,  I  may 
say,  such  exaggerated  care  ?  " 

"  Exaggerated  care  !  "  repeated  Hildegarde, 
with  evident  surprise. 

"  Well,  well — never  mind  that — we  have  no 
time  to  weigh  words  just  now  ;  but,  tell  me 
quickly,  was  it  to  please  your  father — or  in  anger 
— or  indifference — that  you  refused  Zedwitz  ?" 

"  Have  you  any  right  to  question  me  in  this 
imperious  manner?"  cried  Hildegarde,  moving 
quickly  on. 

"No,"  replied  the  stranger,  striding  after  her. 
"  No  ;  and  it  is  a  great  relief  to  my  mind  to  find 
that  I  have  not.  I  was  beginning  to  fear  you 
had  a — misunderstood  me — would  think  perhaps 
I  had  trifled  with  your  feelings  :  in  short,  I 
thought  you  were  unkind  to  your  cousin  and 
had  refused  Zedwitz  from  having  formed  expec- 
tations which  can  never  be  realised.  Painful  as 
it  is  to  me  to  say  so,  I  must  nevertheless  tell 


ioo  Gbe  flntttals. 


you  that  nothing  was  further  from  my  thoughts 
than " 

"  Villain  !  "  cried  Hamilton,  springing  forward. 
11  How  dare  you  take  advantage  of  the  darkness 
to  traduce  me  in  this  manner  !  Who  are  you  ?  " 

A  violent  and  silent  struggle  ensued,  but  the 
darkness  was  so  complete  that  the  stranger  con- 
trived to  free  himself  from  Hamilton's  grasp, 
bounded  down  the  stairs,  and  closed  the  hall- 
door  with  such  violence  that  the  whole  house 
shook.  Hamilton  would  have  followed,  but 
Hildegarde's  hand  grasped  his  arm,  and  she 
entreated  him,  almost  breathlessly,  to  remain 
quiet.  "  Do  not  go  after  him  ;  it  will  serve 
no  purpose  whatever.  I  ought  to  have  known," 
she  added,  walking  up  the  now  lighted  stair- 
case, "  I  ought  to  have  felt  at  once  that  it  was 
not  you  !  " 

"  It  would  have  shown  extraordinary  discern- 
ment on  your  part,"  said  Hamilton,  "  for  not 
only  did  he  whisper,  and  choose  a  foreign  lan- 
guage which  he  probably  knows  we  often  use, 
and  in  which  you  could  not  easily  detect  the 
difference  of  expression — but  he  also  asked  the 
very  questions  which  I  should  have  asked  long 
ago,  had  I  dared  !  " 

Hildegarde  hurried  forward,  while  Madame 
Rosenberg  called  from  the  top  of  the  stairs  : 
"  You  were  determined  to  let  us  know  that  you 
had  shut  the  house-door  after  you,  Mr.  Hamil- 
ton, but  I  was  glad  to  hear  that  you  were  at 


CbristmagstTrce,  an&  dfctonigbt  /fcass.  101 

home,  for  it  is  raining  torrents,  and,  as  you 
have  neither  cloak  nor  umbrella,  you  must  be 
wet  to  the  skin." 

"  I  believe  I  am  rather  wet,"  said  Hamilton, 
composedly  allowing  himself  to  be  felt  by  his 
attentive  hostess. 

"  Take  off  these  clothes  directly,  or  you  will 
get  one  of  your  English  colds." 

"  A  cold  never  lasts  more  than  a  day  or  two 
here  ;  I  am  no  longer  afraid,"  said  Hamilton, 
following  her  into  the  drawing-room  in  the  hope 
of  speaking  a  few  words  more  with  Hildegarde  ; 
but  Madame  Rosenberg  insisted  on  his  going  to 
bed,  and  as  a  bribe,  promised  herself  to  bring 
him  a  piece  of  cake  and  a  glass  of  wine. 

The  whole  family  were  in  the  deepest  sleep, 
and  not  a  sound  was  heard  in  the  house,  when 
suddenly,  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
the  Rosenberg  bell  was  rung  loud  and  violently. 
A  great  commotion  ensued,  and  the  cook  having 
been  sent  downstairs  to  open  the  house-door, 
returned  in  a  minute  or  two,  preceded  by  Count 
Zedwitz's  servant,  who,  running  towards  Hamil- 
ton's room,  seemed  only  able  to  pronounce  the 
word  cholera. 

"  Who  is  that  ? "  cried  Madame  Rosenberg, 
drawing  a  little  black  shawl  tightly  over  her 
shoulders,  and  following  him  with  hasty  steps. 
"  What  does  the  man  mean  ?  " 

She  found  him  standing  in  Hamilton's  room, 
explaining  that  his  master  had  returned  home  ill 


102  Gbe  initials. 


about  one  o'clock  ;  that  he  had  gradually  become 
worse,  and  had  now  the  cholera  ;  he  had  refused 
to  send  for  Mr.  Hamilton,  but  the  doctor  had 
said  some  one  ought  to  be  with  him,  who  could 
write  to  Edelhof  directly. 

"  I  must  say  I  think  it  very  unnecessary  that 
Mr.  Hamilton  should  be  exposed  to  any  danger 
of  the  kind,"  interposed  Madame  Rosenberg. 
"  I  dare  say  Count  Zedwitz  has  other  friends  or 
relatives  to  whom  he  can  apply." 

The  man  said  he  had  not  been  long  with 
Count  Zedwitz — he  had  seen  him  more  with  Mr. 
Hamilton  than  anyone  else — and  then  he  looked 
inquiringly  towards  Hamilton,  who,  having  sprung 
out  of  bed  the  moment  the  bell  rang,  had  finished 
his  hasty  toilet  undisturbed  by  the  presence  of 
Madame  Rosenberg.  His  answer  was  throwing 
his  cloak  over  his  shoulders,  and  advancing  tow- 
ards the  door. 

"  Surely  you  will  not  run  the  danger  of  getting 
the  cholera,  for  a  mere  acquaintance  of  yester- 
day," she  cried,  anxiously  placing  herself  before 
him. 

"  The  danger  is  by  no  means  so  great  as  you 
suppose,"  said  Hamilton.  "  I  doubt  the  cholera 
being  contagious." 

"  But  I  don't  in  the  least  doubt  it,"  cried 
Madame  Rosenberg,  "  and  I  feel  quite  sure  you 
will  bring  it  into  our  house.  Have  some 
consideration  for  us,  if  you  have  none  for  your- 
self !  " 


Gbristma0«?Tree,  and  jflfct&nfgbt  flfcass.  103 

"  The  best  plan  will  be  not  to  return  for  a 
week  or  so,"  said  Hamilton.  "  In  fact,  not  until 
you  let  me  know  that  you  no  longer  fear  infec- 
tion. Hans  must  bring  me  whatever  I  require, 
as  soon  as  it  is  daylight." 

"  But  he  must  not  go  backwards  and  forwards," 
began  Madame  Rosenberg. 

"  Oh,  mamma  !  "  exclaimed  Hildegarde,  who 
was  standing  in  the  passage ;  "  will  you  not 
speak  to  papa  about  it  ?  I  am  sure " 

"  Go  to  your  bed,"  cried  her  mother,  inter- 
rupting her  testily,  "  and  don't  stand  shivering 
there  until  you  get  the  cholera,  too  ;  go  to  your 
bed.  I  assure  you,"  she  said,  turning  apologeti- 
cally to  Hamilton,  "  I  assure  you  I  don't  mean  to 
be  unkind,  but  I  have  a  family,  and  it  would  be 
awful  were  the  cholera  to  come  among  us.  Sup- 
pose I  were  to  lose  Franz,  or  one  of  my  boys,  or 
even  Hildegarde " 

"  Do  not  speak  of  anything  so  dreadful," 
cried  Hamilton,  instantly  seizing  the  last  idea. 
"  Nothing  will  induce  me  to  return  until  even 
the  shadow  of  danger  has  past." 

"  And  you  do  not  think  me  ill-natured  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least  !" 

Hildegarde  was  at  the  door  of  her  room  as  he 
was  about  to  pass — he  stopped  to  take  leave. 

"  Use  whatever  precaution  you  can  against  in- 
fection," she  said,  warmly  returning  the  pressure 
of  his  hand,  "and,"  she  added,  hurriedly,  "and 
don't  be  angry  when  I  send  you  the  watch  you 


104  £be  frnittals. 


gave  me  last  night.  Papa  agrees  with  me  in 
thinking  such  a  present  too  valuable  to  be  ac- 
cepted from  a — an  acquaintance.  Don't  forget 
to  let  me  know  as  often  as  you  can  by  old  Hans, 
how  Count  Zedwitz  is  !" 

Hamilton  dropped  her  hand  with  an  impatient 
jerk,  and  hurried  from  the  house,  without  speak- 
ing another  word. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  GARRET. 

"  OTOP,  stop  if  you  please,"  cried  Zedwitz's 

**•'  servant  to  Hamilton,  who  was  beginning  to 
run  down  the  street, "  Count  Max  is  not  in  his  own 
house — he  is  here  just  opposite — at  the  brazier's." 

"  At  the  brazier's  !  "  exclaimed  Hamilton, 
"  what  induced  him  to  go  there  ? " 

"  Don't  know,  sir,"  replied  the  man,  "  he  has 
been  lodging  there  the  last  week  or  two." 

"  Lodging  there  ? "  repeated  Hamilton,  as  he 
crossed  the  street,  "  that  is  an  odd  idea." 

The  man  opened  the  house-door  with  a  latch- 
key, took  up  a  candle  which  was  burning  on  the 
staircase,  and  walked  up  to  the  very  top  of  the 
house.  They  passed  through  two  or  three  empty 
garrets  before  they  reached  the  one  which  Zed- 
witz had  chosen  for  his  sleeping  apartment. 
The  furniture  contrasted  strangely  with  the 
whitewashed  walls,  sloping  ceilings,  and  windows 


(Barret.  105 


protruding  from  the  roof.  A  handsome  bed- 
stead, wardrobe,  sofa,  several  large  arm-chairs, 
and  tables  covered  with  writing  and  drawing 
materials,  found  with  difficulty,  place  in  the  ill- 
shaped  room.  A  stranger  was  sitting  by  the 
bed  ;  he  rose  as  Hamilton  approached. 

"So  they  have  brought  you  here,  after  all," 
said  Zedwitz  ;  "  I  hope  at  least  that  you  have 
been  told  the  true  state  of  the  case — that  you 
know  that  I  have  the  worst  description  of 
cholera  ? " 

"  You  know  I  do  not  consider  it  infectious," 
replied  Hamilton,  "  and  if  I  can  be  of  any  use,  I 
am  prepared  to  remain  with  you." 

Zedwitz  pressed  his  friend's  hand. 

"  If  I  am  not  better  in  a  few  hours,"  he  said 
slowly,  "  that  is,  when  there  is  no  hope  of  my  re- 
covery, you  may  write  to  Edelhof — I  do  not 
wish  to  see  any  of  my  family — not  even  Agnes — 
coming  from  the  country,  they  would  be  too 
liable  to  infection." 

"But,"  said  Hamilton,  "I  do  not  see  Doctor 
Berger — why  have  you  not  sent  for  him  ?  " 

"  Because  I  am  here,  and  not  in  my  own 
house,  and  he  tells  everything  to  his  chattering 
wife,  who  relates,  with  interest,  all  she  hears  to 
whoever  will  listen  to  her." 

"  But  why  are  you  here  ?  "  asked  Hamilton. 

A  violent  spasm  put  an  end  to  the  conversa- 
tion, nor  was  it  possible  to  renew  it.  Zedwitz 
hourly  became  worse.  Hamilton  proportionably 


io6  tCbe  Untttate. 


anxious.  At  length  he  sent  not  only  for  Doctor 
Berger,  but  also  for  his  friend  Biedermann,  and 
when  they  had  declared  Zedwitz's  case  almost 
hopeless,  he  wrote  as  he  had  been  desired  to  Edel- 
hof,  and  employed  his  servant  Hans  as  courier. 

Late  in  the  evening  Zedwitz  lay  motionless 
from  exhaustion.  Biedermann  had  more  than 
once  held  a  feather  under  his  nostrils  to  ascertain 
if  he  still  breathed.  Hamilton  rose  slowly  from 
his  station  by  the  bed,  and  walked  cautiously  to 
one  of  the  small  windows.  On  reaching  it,  he 
stumbled  over  a  large  telescope  which  was 
pointed  against  a  round  hole,  evidently  cut  in 
the  curtain — he  was  about  to  remove  the  telescope 
to  avoid  a  recurrence  of  the  noise  which  he  had 
just  made,  but,  on  second  thoughts,  he  seated 
himself  on  a  chair  conveniently  placed  beside  it, 
and  applied  his  eye  to  the  glass. 

In  a  moment,  he  was  in  Madame  Rosenberg's 
drawing-room ;  the  muslin  curtains  were  not 
closed,  and  he  saw  the  preparations  for  the 
rubber  of  whist — the  candles  and  counters 
arranged,  the  entrance  of  the  Hoffmanns,  accom- 
panied as  usual  by  Raimund.  The  latter  soon 
seated  himself  at  the  piano-forte,  and  from  the 
different  movements  of  his  person  and  hands, 
Hamilton  tried  to  imagine  the  music  to  which 
the  others  (not  the  card-players)  listened  ap- 
parently with  the  most  profound  attention.  He 
had  heard  so  much  from  Hildegarde  of  her 
cousin's  extraordinary  talent  for  music,  that  he 


(Barret.  107 


expected  to  see  her  immediately  move  towards 
him.  Great  was,  therefore,  his  surprise,  when 
she  walked  to  the  window  most  distant  from  him, 
and  drawing  still  further  aside  the  small  trans- 
parent curtains,  turned  her  face  upwards,  ex- 
actly in  the  direction' of  the  window  from  which 
he  was  looking  out.  He  could  not  any  longer 
see  her  features,  but  he  imagined  her  looking  at 
him,  and  he  involuntarily  pushed  back  his  chair. 
Did  she  know  where  he  was  ?  Or  had  she  already 
known  that  Zedwitz  was  in  her  neighbourhood  ? 
He  tried  to  remember  if  she  had  been  in  the 
habit  of  going  to  the  window — he  believed  not — 
but  he  recollected  her  immediate  recognition  of 
Zedwitz  in  the  street  the  evening  before.  The 
scene  on  the  stairs  recurred  to  his  memory  with 
extraordinary  exactness,  and  a  sudden  suspicion, 
like  a  flash  of  lightning,  made  him  see  Zedwitz  as 
his  midnight  traducer.  He  strode  towards  him, 
but  the  angry  question  died  on  his  lips,  when  he 
beheld  the  livid  features  convulsed  with  pain. 
Zedwitz  was  not  only  perfectly  conscious  of  his 
dangerous  state,  but  everything  passing  around 
him ;  he  glanced  towards  the  window,  and 
asked  in  a  low  hoarse  voice,  "  Have  you  seen  her  ?" 

"  Yes,  she  is  looking  at  the  windows  of  this 
room." 

A  long  silence  ensued,  and  then  Hamilton  was 
called  out  of  the  room  to  speak  to  old  Hans,  who 
had  been  sent  by  Hildegarde  to  make  inquiries 
about  Zedwitz. 


io8  ftbe  Ifnitials. 


"How  does  Mademoiselle  Hildegarde  know 
that  we  are  here  ? "  asked  Hamilton. 

"  She  inquired  of  my  son  this  morning  when 
he  was  packing  your  clothes.  She  hopes  that 
you  will  take  care  of  yourself,  and  says  you  must 
be  sure  to  smell  this  little  silk  thing,  as  it  will 
save  you  from  infection." 

Hamilton  smiled  as  he  received  from  the  old 
man  a  sachet  containing  camphor. 

"  Perhaps  you  will  give  me  a  line  for  made- 
moiselle ;  she  is  very  uneasy." 

Hamilton  wrote  a  few  lines  with  his  pencil. 

"  She  said,"  remarked  old  Hans,  "  you  must 
hang  it  on  your  neck,  and  that  she  would  pray 
for  the  wearer  every  morning  in  the  Frauen 
church." 

"  Did  she  say  that  ? "  cried  Hamilton,  hastily. 
"  At  what  hour  will  she  be  there  ? " 

"  Between  six  and  seven  o'clock,  I  should 
think,"  answered  the  man,  with  a  look  of  intelli- 
gence by  no  means  agreeable  to  Hamilton. 

"  You  need  not  say  that  I  asked  you  this  ques- 
tion, Hans  ;  it  might  prevent  her  from  going  to 
church,  you  know." 

"If  you  please,  I  can  say  you  don't  think  of 
going  to  the  Frauen  church  to-morrow  morning." 

"  Say  nothing  at  all,  excepting  that  I  am 
obliged  to  her  and  shall  wear  the  amulet,"  replied 
Hamilton,  abruptly  turning  away. 

The  Countess  Zedwitz,  her  daughter,  and 
son-in-law,  arrived  before  daybreak  the  next 


Gbe  CJarret.  109 


morning.  They  were  at  first  so  agitated  that 
they  could  not  speak  a  word  ;  Zedwitz,  on  the 
contrary,  was  perfectly  calm.  "  I  expected  you, 
mother,"  he  said,  kissing  her  hand  ;  "  I  knew 
you  would  come  to  me,  but  I  wish  that  dear 
Agnes  and  Lengheim  had  remained  at  home.  You 
must  send  them  back  in  the  course  of  the  day." 

The  Countess  spoke  long  and  earnestly  with 
Doctor  Berger,  and  then  returned  to  her  son's 
bedside.  She  told  him  that  his  father  continued 
ill  and  confined  to  his  room  ;  that  he  wished  to 
see  him  again  ;  was  ready  to  forget  all  cause  of 
difference  between  them,  and  she  hoped,  as  soon 
as  he  could  be  removed,  he  would  return  with  her 
to  Edelhof. 

Zedwitz  was  too  weak  to  discuss  his  plans  for 
the  future,  although  immediately  after  the  arrival 
of  his  relations  he  had  a  change  for  the  better. 
At  five  o'clock  Dr.  Berger  gave  hopes  of  his  re- 
covery, and  an  hour  afterwards  Hamilton  was  on 
his  way  to  the  Frauen  church. 

The  rain  had  turned  to  sleet,  and  the  sleet  to 
snow  since  he  had  last  been  out.  Large  flakes 
now  fell  noiselessly  around  him  ;  he  saw  them 
not — Hildegarde  alone,  and  alternate  hopes  and 
fears  that  he  should  not,  and  hopes  that  he  should, 
see  her,  occupied  his  thoughts. 

There  were  not  many  people  assembled,  but 
the  church  is  large,  the  altars  numerous,  and  it 
was  some  time  before  he  discovered  the  kneeling 
figure  of  her  he  sought. 


no  Gbe  Ifmtials. 


Walburg,  with  her  shining  braided  hair,  silver 
head-dress,  and  large  market-basket  on  her  arm, 
was  standing  in  the  aisle  ;  her  prayers  seemed 
ended,  for  she  gazed  cheerfully  around  her,  and 
even  nodded  occasionally  to  her  basketed  ac- 
quaintances as  they  passed.  She  immediately 
recognised  Hamilton,  and  stooped  down  to  whis- 
per to  Hildegarde,  who  instantly  rose,  and  Ham- 
ilton saw  her  face  suffused  with  blushes  as  she 
walked  towards  him.  They  left  the  church  to- 
gether, and  Hildegarde's  first  words  were,  "  How 
pale  and  tired  you  look  ;  I  hope  you  are  not  ill." 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  said  Hamilton  ;  and  it  did 
not  escape  his  observation  that  her  principal  anx- 
iety seemed  about  himself.  "  You  will  be  glad 
to  hear  that  Zedwitz  is  better  at  last ;  we  had  no 
hopes  of  his  recovery  until  about  an  hour  ago." 

"  So  I  have  already  heard  from  Mr.  Bieder- 
mann,  who  was  so  kind  as  to  call  just  before  I 
left  home." 

"  Ah,  you  have  seen  Biedermann  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  and  then  she  added  after  a  pause, 
"now  that  Count  Zedwitz's  family  have  arrived, 
you  ought  to  think  of  yourself,  for  even  if  you  do 
not  fear  infection,  you  must  remember  that  un- 
usual fatigue  is  dangerous  at  present.  You  have 
been  two  nights  without  rest — you  who  require 
so  much  more  sleep  than  anyone  else,  as  I  heard 
you  tell  mamma  more  than  once." 

"  That  was  only  an  excuse  for  my  unpardon- 
able laziness,"  replied  Hamilton,  smiling  ;  "  I  in- 


(Barret. 


tend  to  go  to  Havard's  to  dress  and  breakfast 
before  I  return  to  Zedwitz.  Have  you  any  mes- 
sage for  him.  I  shall  deliver  it  faithfully." 

"  None,  excepting  my  good  wishes,"  said  Hil- 
degarde,  turning  away.  "  Walburg,  you  may  now 
go  to  the  grocer's — I  can  walk  home  alone. 
Good  morning,  Mr.  Hamilton." 

Hamilton  bowed  gravely,  waited  with  due  pro- 
priety until  Walburg  was  quite  out  of  sight,  and 
then  ran  after  Hildegarde,  and  endeavoured, 
while  still  panting  for  breath,  to  thank  her  for 
the  amulet,  and  her  kind  anxiety  on  his  account. 

"  My  father  more  than  shares  my  anxiety  about 
you,"  she  said,  calmly  ;  "  he  was  greatly  distressed 
at  hearing  that  mamma  had  in  a  manner  banished 
you  from  our  house.  Should  you  get  the  cholera 
now,  and  not  be  properly  taken  care  of,  how 
could  we  write  to  your  family  ?  What  could  we 
say  to  them  ?  " 

"  You  mean  in  case  of  my  death  ?  By-the-by, 
I  never  thought  of  that.  Do  not  walk  so  fast — 
I  want  to  speak  to  you,  and  I  know  you  must 
dismiss  me  at  the  next  turn.  Should  I  die  of 
cholera " 

"  It  is  time  enough  to  talk  of  death  when  you 
are  ill,"  said  Hildegarde,  hastily. 

"  No,  it  will  be  too  late  then.  Twenty-four 
hours  are  more  than  enough  to  finish  a  man's 
life  now.  Will  you  undertake  to  write  to  my 
sister  and  arrange  my  effects  ?  " 

"  Are  you  joking  ?  " 


Cbe  Unittale. 


"  Not  in  the  least.  You  will  find  in  a  rose- 
wood case  a  number  of  papers — a  journal  in  fact. 
These  papers  must  be  carefully  sealed  and 
addressed  to  my  sister.  There  is  also  a  mini- 
ature  " 

"  I  know,"  said  Hildegarde. 

"  How  do  you  know,"  cried  Hamilton,  stooping 
forward  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  her  features,  "  how 
do  you  know  anything  about  that  ?  " 

"  Lina  Berger  examined  your  dressing-case 
one  evening  when  she  was  in  your  room.  Cres- 
cenz  was  present,  and  naturally  told  me  of  the 
miniature — I  often  reminded  her  of  it." 

"  Indeed  !     And  for  what  purpose  ?  " 

"  To  prevent  her  forgetting  that  you  had  not 
even  a  heart  to  bestow  on  her." 

"  You  are  right.  But  to  return  to  the  mini- 
ature ;  the  original  possesses,  indeed,  a  large 

portion  of  my  affection "  Hamilton  stopped  ; 

he  had  flattered  himself  that  his  companion 
would,  in  some  way,  betray  feelings  either  of 
jealousy  or  curiosity,  but  she  walked  on  steadily 
without  looking  at  him  ;  and  when  he  paused, 
she  observed,  "  You  must  make  haste  ;  we  are 
just  at  the  corner  ;  you  need  not  tell  me  about 
the  original,  but  say  what  you  wish  me  to  do 
with  the  picture." 

"  Should  we  never  meet  again,  unfeeling  girl," 
said  Hamilton,  half  laughing,  "  you  must  send 
the  picture  to  my  father,  for  it  is  my  sister  Helen's 
portrait." 


(Barrel.  113 


As  he  spoke,  they  had  reached  the  place 
where  he  knew  he  must  leave  her  ;  she  stopped, 
and  said  quickly,  "Mr.  Hamilton,  I  have  in  this 
instance  done  you  great  injustice  ;  I  thought 
your  heart  was  bestowed  on  the  original  of  the 
miniature.  Without  this  explanation  I  should 
certainly  have  regarded  your  conduct  towards  us 
as  unpardonably — heartless  !  " 

"  Not  quite,"  said  Hamilton,  lightly  ;  "  I  really 
had  a  heart  at  my  disposal  some  time  ago ; 
younger  sons  are  allowed  to  have  hearts  in  Eng- 
land, and  to  give  them  away  as  they  please  ;  few 
people  there  think  it  worth  while  to  accept  so 
worthless  a  thing  as  a  heart  alone.  In  Germany, 
the  same  rational  idea  seems  to  prevail " 

"  Not  so,"  cried  Hildegarde,  warmly  ;  "  a  heart 
is  always  of  value — must  be  of  value  to  every- 
one, especially  to  every  woman." 

"  You  are  making  a  collection  of  such  valu- 
ables, I  think,"  said  Hamilton.  "  Your  cousin's 
has  been  forced  upon  you  ;  Zedwitz's,  to  say  the 
least,  you  tacitly  accepted  ;  what  you  intend  to 
do  with  mine " 

"  I  must  go  home  now,"  said  Hildegarde, 
glancing  uneasily  down  the  street ;  "  it  may  be 
remarked  if  I  stand  here  so  long  with  you " 

"  Do  not  be  alarmed,"  said  Hamilton,  smiling  ; 
"  I  have  no  intention  of  ever  again  favouring 
you  with  avowals  of  affection  as  absurd  as  use- 
less. You  are  quite  right  not  to  listen  to  me, 
but  you  must  have  the  kindness  not  to  listen  to 


H4  tTbe  Initials. 


my  midnight  representatives  either.     Such  men 
must  not  speak  for  me." 

"  Do  not  think  about  that  any  more,"  said 
Hildegarde.  "I  dislike  the  recollection  of  my 
stupidity." 

"  If  I  only  knew  who  it  was,"  said  Hamilton, 
contracting  his  brows. 

"  You  possibly  suspect  Oscar,  but  when  I  re- 
ferred to  the  subject  yesterday  evening,  he  did 
not  in  the  least  understand  what  I  meant,  and 
afterwards  denied  having  seen  me  from  the  time 
I  had  received  my  Christmas  presents." 

"  So,  then,  it  was  Zedwitz,"  said  Hamilton, 
musingly.  "  I  am  sorry  for  it ;  our  friendship  is 
at  an  end." 

"  Oh,  no,"  cried  Hildegarde  ;  "  perhaps  it  was 
not  Count  Zedwitz  ;  it  is  not  like  him  to  act  so  ; 
besides,  he  never  speaks  French  with  me,  and — 
and  his  manners  are  always  so  respectful.  Oh, 
no,  I  do  not  think — I  am  quite  sure  it  could  not 
have  been  Count  Zedwitz." 

"  How  can  you,  who  are  always  so  rational  and 
candid,  talk  so  ?  You  know  it  must  have  been 
one  or  the  other  ;  no  one  else  could  have  any 
motive  for  asking  those  questions ;  I  only 
wish " 

"  And  I  wish,"  said  Hildegarde,  interrupting 
him,  "  I  wish  you  would  not  either  think  or 
speak  again  about  this  disagreeable  affair.  Oscar 
has  denied  knowing  anything  about  it  ;  therefore 
you  have  no  pretence  to  seek  a  quarrel  with  him. 


(Sarret.  115 


You  have  scarcely  a  right  on  suspicion  to  with- 
draw your  friendship  from  Count  Zedwitz." 

"  On  suspicion  !  No  ;  but  I  shall  certainly 
ask  him  if  he  was  on  the  stairs  of  your  house  on 
Christmas  Eve." 

"  He  will  say  that  he  was  not." 

"  If  he  do,  I  shall  believe  him." 

"  And  I  also,"  said  Hildegarde,  moving  on- 
wards. 

"  You  think  highly  of  Zedwitz  ?  " 

"  Most  highly.     I  have  already  told  you  so." 

"  And  of  your  cousin  ?  " 

Hildegarde  was  silent. 

"  And  yet  you  continue  intimate  with  him,  and 
tolerate  his  rhapsodies  !  " 

"  He  is  my  cousin — he  loves  me — and — if  you 
must  know  all,  I  fear  him  now  !  " 

"  You  !  you  fear  him  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  fear  his  love  and  his  jealousy — his 
frightful  bursts  of  passion — his  horrible  threats. 
But,  look,  there  is  Walburg  just  now  coming 
home ;  I  must  enter  the  house  before  her. 
Adieu." 

The  Zedwitzes  were  profuse  in  their  thanks  to 
Hamilton,  and  used  all  their  eloquence  to  induce 
him  to  return  with  them  to  Edelhof  ;  no  argu- 
ment, however,  could  prevail  on  him  to  quit 
Munich.  Before  Zedwitz  left,  he  gave  Hamilton 
the  assurance  that  he  had  not  been  in  the  Rosen- 
bergs' house  on  Christmas  Eve.  "  If  you  require 
proof,"  he  added,  "  I  can  give  it.  You  may  re- 


n6  Gbe  Ifnttials. 


member  I  told  you  that  I  felt  very  ill.  Could  a 
man  in  the  state  I  was  then  in  think  of  such 
mummeries  ?  besides,  when  we  parted,  I  went 

home,  that  is,  to  our  house  in Street,  changed 

my  clothes,  which  were  wet,  and  drank  some 
wine.  You  can  inquire  of  our  old  housekeeper." 

"  It  is  quite  unnecessary,"  said  Hamilton.  "  I 
should  rather  apologise  for  having  thought  you 
capable  of  such  conduct,  even  in  joke.  Hilde- 
garde  did  not  for  a  moment  suspect  you,  although 
she  had  heard  her  cousin's  denial." 

"  Excellent  girl  ! — she  did  me  but  justice. 
Much  as  I  should  like  to  know  her  feelings  tow- 
ards me,  I  never,  even  if  I  had  an  opportunity, 
would  resort  to  such  means  of  obtaining  informa- 
tion." 

"And  what  do  you  think  of  this  denial  of 
Raimund's  ?  "  asked  Hamilton. 

The  carriage  rolled  to  the  door.  Hamilton 
assisted  his  friend  down  the  narrow  staircase. 
"  What  do  you  mean  to  do  with  yourself  until 
you  are  allowed  to  return  to  the  Rosenbergs  ?  " 
asked  the  latter  as  he  pressed  heavily  on  his 
arm. 

"  I  shall  buy  another  horse  and  a  sledge. 
If  the  snow  last,  I  rather  expect  some  amuse- 
ment." 

Arrived  in  the  street,  Zedwitz  was  obliged  to 
lean  exhausted  against  the  house.  He  was  with 
great  difficulty  lifted  into  the  carriage,  and  as  he 
sank  back  in  the  corner,  his  languid  eyes  turned 


Hbe  Discussion.  117 

slowly  to  the  windows  of  the  opposite  house. 
Crescenz  and  her  brothers  were  looking  out, 
Hildegarde  was  not  visible  ;  he  slightly  touched 
his  cap  and  turned  away..  His  mother  and 
sister  were  making  a  final  effort  to  induce  Ham- 
ilton to  remove  to  Edelhof  or  Lengheim.  Zed- 
witz  saw  the  uselessness  of  their  endeavours,  and 
calling  Hamilton  to  his  side,  whispered,  "  If  you 
should  be  ill,  remember  your  promise  to  send  for 
me  directly."  He  then  placed  his  hands  on  his 
shoulders,  and  kissed  him  on  both  sides  of  his 
face.  Completely  abashed  by  this  proceeding, 
Hamilton  blushed  excessively,  and  stammered  a 
few  incoherent  words  as  the  carriage  drove  off. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

THE    DISCUSSION. 

,  Hildegarde  !  "  cried  Crescenz,  pushing 
back  her  work-table  in  order  to  be  able 
to  see  better  from  the  window.  "Oh,  Hilde- 
garde— look,  look  !  There  is  Mr.  Hamilton 
driving  such  a  beautiful  sledge  up  our  street ; 
and  the  horses  are  prancing  and  dancing,  and 
shaking  their  red  tassels  and  silver  bells  !  Oh, 
how  pretty  !  How  I  wish  he  would  take  me  out 
with  him  !  " 

"  Babette  ! "  cried   Mr.   Rosenberg,  from  the 


us  £be  Initials. 


next  room,  "  Mr.  Hamilton  is  just  passing  our 
house,  and  seems  in  perfect  health.  How  long 
do  you  mean  his  quarantine  to  last  ? " 

"  I  have  no  objection  to  his  returning  to-mor- 
row," answered  Madame  Rosenberg,  who  was 
arranging  one  of  the  chests  of  drawers  in  the 
drawing-room.  "  You  may  tell  him  so,  if  you 
like,  this  afternoon." 

"  Not  I  !  "  said  her  husband.  "  You  banished 
him,  and  you  may  recall  him,  too  ;  if,  however, 
you  really  wish  him  to  return,  you  had  better 
make  haste,  for  he  seems  to  be  amusing  himself 
very  well  at  Havard's,  and  is  always  surrounded 
by  a  number  of  acquaintances.  I  must  confess 
I  miss  him  more  than  I  expected." 

"  I  wish  him  to  return,  of  course,"  said  Mad- 
ame Rosenberg,  pushing  in  the  drawers  with 
some  violence  ;  "  but,  for  another  week  or  so,  I 
must  say  I  have  no  objection  to  his  remaining 
where  he  is.  I  can  hardly  believe  that  he  will 
escape  the  cholera — he  is  so  careless  !  Always 
going  out  without  a  cloak,  and  being  wet  through  ! 
— wearing  thin  boots  and  no  flannel  waistcoat  ! 
Heating  his  stove  and  opening  his  windows ! 
Running  out  in  the  middle  of  the  night  every 
time  there  is  an  alarm  about  a  house  on  fire  ! 
What  can  one  expect  from  such  doings  ? " 

"  As  you  please,  my  dear,"  said  Mr.  Rosen- 
berg, contentedly.  "You  know  I  never  had  any 
fancy  for  lodgers  in  our  house  ;  he  is  the  first  I 
have  been  able  to  tolerate.  I  think,  however, 


Discussion. 


you  should  not  allow  him  to  pay  for  his  apart- 
ments here  and  at  Havard's  too  !  " 

"  Oh,  of  course  not,"  said  his  wife  ;  "  though 
I  am  sure  that  is  the  very  last  thing  he  would 
think  about  —  he  is  excessively  careless  about 
money." 

"  So  it  seems  —  and  I  suspect  he  is  spending 
more  than  is  necessary  at  present.  He  gives 
suppers  every  night." 

"  I  don't  believe  that  !  " 

"You  may  believe  it  —  or  rather  believe  me, 
for  I  supped  with  him  after  the  theatre  yester- 
day." 

"You?" 

"  Yes.  There  were  also  three  young  English- 
men and  that  little  Lieutenant-major  who  goes 
everywhere,  playings  cards  and  making  himself 
agreeable." 

"  Lieutenant-major  !  How  did  Hamilton  be- 
come acquainted  with  him  ?  " 

"  Oddly  enough  ;  he  met  him  in  the  English 
Gardens  one  evening  before  he  went  to  Seon,  and 
either  knocked  him  down  or  was  knocked  down 
by  him  —  I  really  forgot  which  ;  but  a  fact  it  is 
that  Hamilton  invited  him  to  supper  without 
remembering  his  name,  and  they  insisted  on  my 
introducing  them  formally  to  each  other." 

"  Well,  to  be  sure  !  "  said  Madame  Rosenberg. 
"  If  ever  I  heard  of  such  a  thing  !  " 

"  He  wishes  exceedingly  to  return  to  us,"  con- 
tinued her  husband  ;  "  he  said  so  when  I  was 


Gbe  flnitfate. 


leaving — indeed,  he  gave  me  to  understand  that 
his  guests  were  merely  invited  to  prevent  him 
from  thinking  too  much  of  our  quiet  house- 
hold ! " 

"  Oh,  if  that  be  the  case,  I  consider  it  a  sort  of 
duty  to  bring  him  back  here  and  out  of  the  way 
of  temptation,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg,  joining 
her  husband,  and  leaving  Hildegarde  and  Cres- 
cenz  alone. 

They  had  been  interested  auditors  of  this 
conversation  as  they  sat  together  working. 

"  How  I  like  him  for  inviting  that  Lieutenant- 
major  to  supper  without  knowing  his  name  ! 
Don't  you  ?  It  is  so  English  !  I  am  very  glad 
he  is  coming  back  to  us  !  " 

"  His  return  ought  to  be  a  matter  of  indiffer- 
ence to  you,"  said  Hildegarde,  without  looking 
up. 

"  But  I  cannot  be  so  indifferent  as  you  are  !  " 
said  Crescenz,  petulantly.  "  And,  though  I  am 
going  to  be  married  to  Major  Stultz,  Lina  Berger 
says  that  Mr.  Hamilton  may  still  be  '  mein  schatz ' 
just  the  same,  and  no  harm  !  " 

"  Lina  Berger  talks  great  nonsense,"  said  Hil- 
degarde, with  heightened  colour.  "  This  is, 
however,  worse  than  nonsense." 

"  And  yet  she  could  give  you  some  good 
advice,  if  you  choose  to  listen  to  her,"  observed 
Crescenz,  nodding  her  head  sagaciously. 

"  I  do  not  require  any  advice  from  a  person  I 
so  thoroughly  dislike  and  despise." 


2>i6cu06ion.  121 


"  Oh,  that  's  just  the  same  with  her  ;  she  says 
she  always  disliked  you,  but  that  she  despises 
you  now  that  you  have  fallen  in  love  with  Theo- 
dor  Biedermann  !  " 

"  What  an  absurd  idea  !  "  said  Hildegarde, 
contemptuously.  "  Marie  de  Hoffmann  has 
already  told  me  something  of  that  kind." 

"  Lina  told  me  long  ago  that  Mr.  Biedermann 
did  not  think  you  at  all  handsome  !  " 

"  That  I  think  very  probable,"  said  Hildegarde. 

"  And  she  says  now,  he  is  just  the  person  to 
teach  you  not  to  fall  in  love  without  provoca- 
tion !  " 

"  I  think  he  is  more  likely  to  teach  me  to  write 
German  grammatically,"  answered  Hildegarde, 
with  a  careless  laugh. 

"  And  do  you  really  not  care  for  anybody,  and 
you  a  whole  year  older  than  I  am  !  "  exclaimed 
Crescenz,  with  unfeigned  astonishment.  "  Lina 
first  thought  you  liked  Mr.  Hamilton,  until  I 
assured  her  you  hated  him.  Then  she  said  you 
'had  taken  a  wild  kind  of  fancy  to  our  cousin 
Oscar.  Then  she  thought  you  were  pretending 
to  like  Count  Zedwitz  on  account  of  his  rank 
and  -  " 

"  I  am  sure  I  ought  to  be  obliged  to  you, 
Crescenz,  for  discussing  my  affairs  in  this  man- 
ner with  my  great  enemy,"  said  Hildegarde, 
indignantly. 

"  Oh,  don't  be  angry.  I  assure  you  she  talked 
all  herself.  I  did  not  say  a  single  word  -  " 


fnfttals. 


"  You  forget  having  confessed  that  you  told 
her  all  I  confided  to  you  about  Count  Zedwitz." 

"  But  you  never  confided  in  me  at  all,  Hilde- 
garde  !  All  I  know  was  what  I  overheard 
when  you  were  so  angry  about  the  letter,  you 
know  !  " 

"  I  remember  speaking  to  you  about  that  letter, 
and  telling  you  to  rejoice  that  you  had  never  any 
annoyance  of  the  kind." 

"  But  I  assure  you,  Lina  had  heard  everything 
from  the  Doctor " 

"  Pshaw  !  "  cried  Hildegarde,  pushing  back  her 
chair,  "  there  is  no  use  talking  to  you  !  " 

"  I  am  quite  prepared  for  remarks  of  this 
kind,"  said  Crescenz,  with  a  ludicrous  imitation 
of  Hildegarde' s  natural  dignity  of  manner ;  "  Lina 
says  there  is  no  bearing  you  since  I  have  been 
engaged  to  be  married  !  " 

"  So,"  said  Hildegarde,  throwing  down  her 
work  ;  "  but  I  do  not  quite  understand  the " 

"  Oh,  it  is  easily  understood — you  are  older, 
and  think  you  ought  to  have  been  the  first." 

"This  is  really  too  absurd,"  cried  Hildegarde, 
laughing  good-humouredly. 

"  Oh,  laugh  as  much  as  you  please — but  since 
we  have  returned  from  Seon — you  have  become 
quite  a  different  person  !  " 

"  Did  Lina  put  that  into  your  head  also  ? " 
asked  Hildegarde,  quickly. 

"  Oh,  no,"  cried  Crescenz,  while  her  eyes  filled 
with  tears,  "  I  did  not  require  Lina  to  point  that 


IDfscussfon.  123 


out  to  me.  Silly  as  you  think  me  —  I  can  feel  — 
you  are  quite  changed." 

Hildegarde  bit  her  lip  —  walked  to  the  window 
—  came  hastily  back  again,  and  throwing  her 
arms  round  her  sister,  kissed  her  cheek,  while 
she  whispered  :  "  Dear  girl,  I  am  not  in  the  least 
changed  in  my  affection  for  you  ;  but  you  know 
yourself  that  every  word  I  speak  to  you  is  re- 
peated to  Lina  Berger  ;  and  how  can  you  expect 
me  to  trust  you  ?  " 

"But,"  said  Crescenz,  looking  up,  "but  you 
know  I  often  repeated  what  you  said  when  we 
were  at  school,  and  you  only  scolded  a  little 
sometimes.  Now  you  scarcely  ever  get  into  a 
passion,  and  are  so  cold  and  so  careful  what  you 
say  —  just  like  Mademoiselle  Hortense  !  " 

"  Like  Mademoiselle  Hortense  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mean  that  you  have  her  thick 
nose  and  high  shoulders,"  said  Crescenz,  smiling 
through  her  tears,  "but  you  scarcely  take  any 
notice  of  me,  and  are  always  talking  of  books 
with  Hamilton  !  "  Hildegarde  was  silent.  "  And 
then  you  speak  English  now  more  than  French, 
and  Lina  says  -  " 

"  Don't  tell  me  what  she  says,  don't  name  her 
to  me  again,"  cried  Hildegarde,  impatiently. 

"  No  —  no,  I  won't,"  said  Crescenz,  alarmed. 

"  Odious  person,"  continued  Hildegarde,  turn- 
ing away,  "  I  can  never  forgive  her  for  having 
embittered  the  last  weeks  we  shall  probably  ever 
spend  together." 


124  £be  flnftfals. 


"  Well,"  said  Crescenz,  drying  her  eyes,  "  at 
all  events,  we  shall  get  on  better  after  my  mar- 
riage. You  know  you  must  have  a  sort  of  respect 
for  me  then." 

Hildegarde  turned  round  to  see  if  her  sister 
were  joking ;  but  Crescenz  looked  perfectly 
serious. 

"  Respect  is  due  to  married  persons,"  she  con- 
tinued, neatly  folding  up  the  work  which  her 
sister  had  thrown  on  the  chair.  "  Mamma  says 
so — and  then,  you  know,  I  shall  be  quite  another 
sort  of  person,  when  I  am  the  mother  of  a 
family " 

Hildegarde  laughed  unrestrainedly. 

"  Madame  Lustig  says  I  may  have  a  dozen 
children  !  They  shall  all  have  pretty  names — 
not  one  of  them  shall  be  called  Blazius,  that  I  am 
determined — they  shall  be  Albert,  Maximilian, 
Ferdinard,  Adolph,  Philibert." 

"  Philibert  is  not  a  pretty  name,"  said  Hilde- 
garde, interrupting  her  merrily. 

"  Don't  you  think  so  ?  Well,  we  can  choose 
another,  Conrad  for  instance  ?  " 

"  Or  Oscar  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  because  I  should  imagine  a  sort  of 
resemblance  to  cousin  Oscar,  and  I  don't — quite 
like  him — that  is,  not  very  much,  though  he  is 
my  cousin.  He  is  very  cross  sometimes,  indeed 
almost  always  to  your  friend  Marie — but,  oh  ! 
Hildegarde,  one  very  pretty  name  we  have  for- 
gotten, and  of  a  very  handsome  person  too — 


Sle&ge.  125 


Alfred  !  Mr.  Hamilton,  you  know  —  is  not  Alfred 
a  pretty  name  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  And  he  is  certainly  handsome  ?  Even  you 
must  allow  that  ?  " 

Hildegarde  was  spared  the  answer,  for  Mad- 
ame Rosenberg  entered  the  room,  and  having 
discovered  that  the  tip  of  Crescenz's  little  nose 
was  red,  immediately  declared  it  was  from  want 
of  exercise,  and  sent  both  sisters  to  play  at  bat- 
tledore and  shuttlecock  in  the  nursery  with  their 
brothers. 

She  then  despatched  a  messenger  to  Hamilton 
which  caused  his  immediate  return  to  her  house. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE    SLEDGE. 

IT  AMILTON'S  sledge  was  the  subject  of  dis- 
cussion the  very  first  evening  of  his  return 
— he  of  course  proposed  their  making  use  of  it, 
and  assured  Madame  Rosenberg  that  she  might 
trust  herself  and  her  daughters  to  his  care  with- 
out fear. 

"  Oh,  dear, — I  'm  sure  I  should  not  be  in  the 
least  afraid,"  cried  Crescenz. 

"  And  yet  you  are  the  greatest  coward  in  the 
house,"  said  her  mother.  "  I  am  sure  you  will 


126  Cbe  ffnitials. 


scream  so  often  that  Mr.  Hamilton  will  refuse  to 
take  you  a  second  time." 

"  Allow  me  to  observe,"  said  Major  Stultz,  his 
face  increasing  in  redness  as  he  spoke — "  and  I 
conceive  I  have  some  right  to  give  an  opinion 
on  the  subject — that  I  totally  disapprove  of  Cres- 
cenz's  going  out  in  Mr.  Hamilton's  sledge." 

"  Are  you  afraid  to  trust  her  to  my  care  ?  " 
asked  Hamilton,  laughing. 

Major  Stultz  rapped  on  the  table  with  his  fin- 
gers, and  looked  significantly  towards  Madame 
Rosenberg. 

"You  surely  do  not  think  I  shall  be  so 
awkward  as  to  upset  the  sledge  ? "  continued 
Hamilton. 

"  I  have  the  highest  opinion  of  you,  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton, the  highest  opinion — where  horses  are 
concerned,"  began  Major  Stultz,  with  some 
embarrassment,  while  Hamilton  rubbed  his 
upper  lip  to  hide  a  smile.  "  Had  you  a  carriage 
instead  of  a  sledge,  the  case  would  be  different, 
and  I — but  I  see  you  understand  me." 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  said  Hamilton,  looking  up 
in  unfeigned  astonishment. 

"  Crescenz  does,  however,"  said  Major  Stultz, 
turning  to  his  betrothed,  whose  face  was  suffused 
with  blushes. 

Madame  Rosenberg  had  been  occupied  with 
little  Peppy — she  was  arranging  the  broken  har- 
ness of  a  wooden  cart-horse,  which  had  been 
dragged  somewhat  roughly  round  the  room.  She 


SleDge.  127 


now  looked  up,  and  observed  in  a  low  voice,  and 
with  a  sort  of  expressive  wink  at  Major  Stultz, 
"  Mr.  Hamilton,  being  an  Englishman,  knows 
nothing  about  sledging  rights.  Keep  your  own 
counsel,  and  he  will  never  think  of  claiming  it." 

"  He  may  claim  it  from  whoever  he  pleases," 
cried  Major  Stultz,  bluntly  ;  "  but  not  from  my 
Crescenz,  that  's  all." 

"  What  is  it  —  what  is  my  right  ?  What  may  I 
claim  ?  "  asked  Hamilton,  quickly. 

No  one  seemed  disposed  to  explain,  until  at 
length  Madame  Rosenberg  replied,  laughing, 
"  Neither  more  nor  less  than  a  kiss,  which  is  a 
sort  of  old  privilege  allowed  a  gentleman  if  he 
drive  a  lady  in  a  sledge  !  Now  I  know  that  from 
me  you  will  not  claim  it,  because  I  am  neither 
young  nor  pretty  —  nor  from  Hildegarde,  because 
you  don't  like  her  well  enough  —  nor  from  Cres- 
cenz, because  she  is  betrothed.  So  really, 
Major,  I  see  no  reason  for  making  such  a  serious 
face." 

"  I  intend  to  drive  Crescenz  myself  in  a  sledge," 
said  Major  Stultz  ;  "  I  take  it  for  granted  she  will 
enjoy  it  as  much  with  me  as  with  Mr.  Hamilton." 

Crescenz  bent  her  head  over  her  work,  and 
said  not  a  word. 

A  heavy  fall  of  snow  during  the  night,  and  a 
clear  blue  sky  the  next  day,  proved  most  propi- 
tious ;  and  after  dinner  the  sledge  was  brought 
to  the  door.  Madame  Rosenberg  and  her  son 
Gustle  were  carefully  assisted  by  Hamilton  into 


128  Gbe  Unftlals. 


the  light  fantastic  vehicle,  while  Hans,  not  un- 
necessarily, held  the  horses'  heads.  No  sooner 
were  the  spirited  animals  released  than  they 
bounded  forward  with  a  vehemence  which  caused 
Madame  Rosenberg  to  utter  an  only  half -sup- 
pressed scream,  while  the  child,  participating  in 
his  mother's  alarm,  seized  Hamilton's  arm,  and 
clung  to  it  with  all  his  strength.  One  of  the 
horses  reared  dangerously.  "  Gustle,  you  must 
not  touch  my  arm  or  the  reins  !  "  cried  Hamilton, 
shaking  him  off.  "  They  will  be  quiet  in  a  mo- 
ment," he  added  to  Madame  Rosenberg,  who 
had  closed  her  eyes  and  compressed  her  lips  as 
if  prepared  for  the  worst  ;  but  notwithstanding 
all  his  endeavours,  the  horses  pranced  and 
danced  and  bounded,  to  the  great  admiration  of 
the  passers-by,  while  poor  Madame  Rosenberg 
sat  in  a  sort  of  agony.  She  did  not  speak  a  word 
until  they  had  reached  the  Nymphenburg  road, 
but  there  every  sledge  they  met  increased  her 
terrors,  and  at  length  she  spoke — "  Oh,  dear, 
good,  excellent  Mr.  Hamilton — turn  back  and 
take  me  home  again — I  know  you  are  too  good- 
natured  to  enjoy  my  anxiety — if  it  were  only  for 

Gustle's  sake,  see Oh  ! Ah  !     The  child 

is  frightened  to  death  almost,  and  no  wonder ! 
I  declare  if  I  had  not  come  out  in  my  slippers  I 
would  walk  home — oh,  pray  stop — turn — before 
we  meet  that  sledge  coming  towards  us.  When 
your  horses  hear  the  bells  of  the  other  sledges, 
they  get  quite  wild  !  Dear,  kind  Mr.  Hamilton, 


Slefcge.  129 


I  shall  love  you  all  my  life  if  you  will  only  take 
us  home  again." 

Gustle,  shocked  by  his  mother's  unwonted 
humility  of  manner,  and  imagining  himself  in  the 
most  imminent  danger,  commenced  roaring  with 
all  his  might,  and  Hamilton  turned  his  horses, 
while  assuring  Madame  Rosenberg  they  were  the 
gentlest  animals  in  the  world,  and  it  was  only  the 
fine  weather  that  had  put  them  in  spirits. 

On  their  return  they  found  a  respectable-look- 
ing hackney  coach  placed  on  a  sledge  waiting  at 
the  door.  Crescenz,  her  little  brother  Peppy, 
and  Major  Stultz  were  preparing  to  enter  it. 

"I  will  go  with  you,"  cried  Madame  Rosen- 
berg, joining  them,  "  Gustle  must  not  lose  his 
drive  —  Mr.  Hamilton's  horses  are  much  too  wild 
for  me  !  " 

"  I  thought  as  much,"  said  Major  Stultz,  with 
evident  satisfaction. 

"  Am  I  permitted  to  ask  Mademoiselle  Hilde- 
garde  to  go  with  me  ?  "  asked  Hamilton. 

"  Yes,  but  you  must  tell  her  how  your  horses 
have  frightened  me,  and  you  must  promise  to 
drive  on  the  Nymphenburg  road  where  we  can 
see  you,  and  you  must  not  go  farther  than  the 
palace,,  and  back  again." 

"  Agreed,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  And  you  must  on  no  account  quit  the  sledge, 
or  enter  the  inn." 

"  Of  course  not." 

Hildegarde  was  surprised  to  see  him  so  soon 

VOL.  II.—  8 


Gbe  Initials. 


again.  He  explained,  and  asked  her  if  she  were 
afraid  to  trust  herself  to  his  care. 

"  No,  I  believe  you  drive  well." 

"  Rather — but  I  have  never  had  a  sledge  until 
now — and  they  seem  slippery  concerns." 

"  I  have  heard  that  being  thrown  out  of  one 
is  more  uncomfortable  than  dangerous,"  said 
Hildegarde,  laughing  as  she  entered  her  room 
to  dress  herself. 

The  horses  pawed  the  half-frozen  snow,  and 
were  even  more  impatient  than  before — but  this 
time  no  hand  was  laid  on  his  arm,  no  stifled 
scream  vexed  his  ear.  Hildegarde  admired  the 
silver  serpents  which  ornamented  the  front  of 
the  sledge — the  silver  bells  which  glittered  on 
the  harness,  and  the  gay  scarlet  tassels  which  the 
horses  flung  in  the  air  with  every  movement — 
the  blue  sky — the  dazzling  snow  ;  and  Hamilton, 
perfectly  reassured,  was  soon  able  to  prove  to  his 
horses  that  he  no  longer  feared  to  correct  them. 

In  a  few  minutes  they  had  overtaken  and 
passed  the  hackney  sledge,  containing  the  rest  of 
the  party,  nor  was  it  long  before  they  reached 
Nymphenburg. 

"  What  shall  we  do  now  ? "  said  Hamilton.  "  I 
promised  your  mother  not  to  go  farther  .than  the 
palace  ;  I  am  sure  the  others  are  not  yet  half- 
way here  ;  must  we  go  home  so  soon  ?  " 

"  Drive  round  and  round  this  enclosure  until 
they  come,  it  will  amuse  us  and  exercise  the 
horses,"  replied  Hildegarde. 


Sle&ge.  131 


They  drove  round  several  times,  each  time 
quicker  than  the  preceding,  while  Hans,  with 
extraordinary  energy,  cracked  the  pliant  leather 
whip  peculiar  to  sledges.  Several  people  col- 
lected to  look  on,  among  others  a  carter,  with  an 
empty  wagon.  One  of  his  horses  was  young  and 
unbroken  ;  as  the  sledge  passed,  it  plunged,  and 
rattled  its  heavy  harness  ;  Hamilton's  horses 
shied,  dashed  into  the  deep  snow  heaped  up  be- 
side the  road,  upset  the  sledge,  and  then  strug- 
gled violently  to  make  themselves  free.  Hamil- 
ton still  contrived  to  hold  the  reins  until  his 
servant  came  to  his  assistance,  and  then  rushed 
to  Hildegarde,  who  had  been  thrown  to  some  dis- 
tance. A  crowd  had  soon  gathered  round  her. 

"Hildegarde,  dearest,  are  you  hurt?"  he 
asked,  anxiously. 

"Not  in  the  least,"  she  answered,  laughing, 
while  she  shook  the  snow  from  her  cloak,  "  not 
in  the  least  ;  I  was  thrown  at  the  first  jerk  into 
the  fresh  snow,  and  every  time  I  attempted  to 
get  up  I  fell  back  again,  until  I  received  assist- 
ance, for  which  I  thank  you,"  she  said,  turning 
to  some  strangers  ;  and  then  she  added  hur- 
riedly to  Hamilton,  "  Let  us  go  home." 

The  sledge  had  been  easily  set  to  rights,  and 
they  once  more  drove  off  at  a  furious  pace. 

"  As  wild  a  young  pair  as  ever  I  saw,"  observed 
an  officer  to  his  wife,  as  they  turned  towards  the 
inn  to  rest,  and  refresh  themselves  with  a  cup 
of  coffee. 


Initials. 


"We  have  disobeyed  your  mother,"  began 
Hamilton,  "  unintentionally  indeed,  but " 

"  How  do  you  mean  ? " 

"Why,  she  forbade  our  leaving  the  sledge  on 
any  account  whatever,"  said  Hamilton,  laugh- 
ing ;  "  now,  I  don't  in  the  least  mind  being 
lectured  by  her,  but  I  confess  I  do  not  enjoy  the 
idea  of  Major  Stultz's  triumph.  How  unmerci- 
fully I  shall  be  laughed  at !  " 

"  I  don't  see  any  necessity  for  saying  anything 
about  the  matter,"  said  Hildegarde ;  "if  you 
choose  to  be  silent,  I  shall  never  refer  to  the 
subject ;  in  fact,  I  was  altogether  to  blame,  it 
was  my  proposition  driving  round  that  enclosure, 
and  it  was  I  who  encouraged  you  to  worry  the 
horses,  in  order  to  show  you  that  I  was  not 
afraid  of  them." 

"  The  carter  and  his  young  horse  were  to 
blame,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  he  ought  not  to  have 
come  so  close  to  us  ;  but  I  should  be  very  glad 
to  escape  Major  Stultz's  heavy  raillery.  Do  you 
hear,  Hans — you  fell  out  of  the  sledge  in  your 
sleep — not  even  to  your  father  must  you  say 
otherwise  than  that  my  horses  are  as  steady  as 
oxen.  Do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

Perhaps  the  fear  of  being  questioned  induced 
Hamilton  when  returning  to  pass  the  others  so 
quickly  that  he  did  not  hear  their  cries  to  him 
to  stop  and  return  to  Nymphenburg.  Perhaps 
the  wish  to  be  once  more  alone  with  his  com- 


ttbe  5leJ>0e.  133 

panion  for  half  an  hour  made  him  urge  his 
horses  to  their  hardest  trot :  if  the  latter  had 
been  his  object,  his  annoyance  may  be  conceived 
when,  on  reaching  home,  just  as  they  had  begun 
to  ascend  the  stairs  together,  gayly  laughing,  he 
perceived  Count  Raimund  standing  above  them. 
He  had  seen  their  arrival  from  the  Hoffmanns' 
window,  and  rushed  out  under  pretence  of  a 
joke,  but,  in  reality,  to  waylay  them.  Hamilton 
could  not  conceal  his  vexation  ;  he  frowned,  and 
muttered  the  words  "  Everlasting  bore  !  "  which 
made  Hildegarde's  countenance  change  in  a 
manner  that  irritated  her  cousin.  "  Hildegarde, 
I  must  speak  to  you,"  he  began  abruptly. 

"Speak  on,"  she  said,  continuing  to  ascend 
the  stairs. 

"  I  must  ask  you  a  question — and — we  must 
be  alone." 

"You  are  peremptory — ask  differently,  and 
per — haps  I  may  comply  with  your  request." 

Count  Raimund  grasped — not  gently — his 
cousin's  arm — she  turned  round — became  very 
pale — and  requested  Hamilton,  in  a  low  voice, 
to  go  up  stairs — she  would  follow  him  directly. 

"  Do  you  really  wish  me  to  go  ? "  he  asked, 
hesitatingly.  "  Do  you  remain  willingly  with 
your  cousin  ?  Remember,"  he  added  indig- 
nantly, "  the  nearest  relationship  cannot  authorise 
such " 

Count  Raimund  made  a  violent  gesture — 
Hildegarde  placed  herself  between  them,  and 


134  Gbe  Initials. 


said  hurriedly,  "  I — I  do  wish  to  speak  to  Oscar," 
and  Hamilton  instantly  left  them. 

Directly  he  was  gone  her  manner  totally 
changed.  "Your  question,  Oscar,  and  quickly," 
she  said,  haughtily,  "I  have  no  intention  of 
remaining  on  the  cold  staircase  more  than  a  few 
minutes." 

"  Gently,  gently,  Hildegarde — you  think  the 
danger  is  over  now  your  treasure  is  out  of  sight 
— but  you  see  how  ready  he  is  to  quarrel,  with 
all  his  coolness — be  careful,  for " 

"Your  question,"  said  Hildegarde,  leaning 
against  the  wall,  with  a  sigh  of  resignation. 

"  Did  this  a — this  Englishman  condescend  to 
claim  his  sledging  right  from  you  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Did  he  not  think  it  worth  while  ?  "  said  Rai- 
mund,  sneeringly. 

"  Very  probably.  Have  you  anything  else  to 
observe  ?  " 

"  Yes,  false  girl  ! "  cried  Raimund,  vehe- 
mently, "  you  know  this  is  not  the  case — you  know 
this  is  not  the  case — you  know  he  loves  you — his 
every  look  betrays  him  ;  but,  by  heaven,  if  you 
grant  him  what  I,  your  nearest  relative,  have  so 
long  implored  in  vain — his  life  shall  be  the 
forfeit " 

"  Always  threatening  !  "  exclaimed  Hildegarde, 
indignantly. 

"  It  is  my  only  means  to  obtain  a  moment's 
attention  from  you.  He  little  knows  that  to  his 


Slefcge.  135 


influence  alone  I  am  indebted  for  every  favour 
— for  every  common  civility  I  receive  from  you  !  " 

"  He  little  knows  that,  indeed  ! "  said  Hilde- 
garde,  bitterly,  "  were  he  aware  of  it,  he  would 
soon  release  me  from  my  thraldom." 

"  Tell  him — tell  him.  I  desire  nothing  more 
than  that  matters  should  come  to  extremities. 
You  look  incredulous,  Hildegarde.  Hear  me, 
and  judge  for  yourself.  Pecuniary  difficulties 
have  often  made  men  put  an  end  to  their  exist- 
ence— and  you  know  what  mine  are  !  Add  to 
this  a  violent  and  hopeless  love,  and  the  certainty 
of  being  obliged,  in  a  week  or  ten  days,  to  marry 
a  person  for  whom  I  never  can  feel  a  particle 
of  either  affection  or  admiration  !  " 

"  But  who  is  worthy  of  both  !  "  cried  Hil- 
degarde. 

"  Perhaps  so — I  wish  Marie  every  happiness 
with  another — for  myself,"  he  added,  folding  his 
arms  and  looking  musingly  down  the  stairs ; 
"  I  wish  to  die,  to  die  soon — and  quickly — but 
not  by  my  own  hand.  They  say  it  is  a  fearful 
crime  to  commit  suicide.  Were  I  certain  of 
being  shot  by  Hamilton,  I  should  not  hesitate — 
he  must  then  leave  Bavaria  and  you  for  ever — 

but  the  chances  are  I  should  shoot  him 1 

hate  him  so  intensely  that  the  temptation  would 
be  more  than  I  could  resist." 

"  Horrible  !  "  cried  Hildegarde,  covering  her 
face  with  her  hands.  "  How  can  you  deliber- 
ately think  of  committing  murder  ?  " 


136  Ube  Ifnttials. 


"  That  's  it — that  's  what  I  mean  ;  you  see, 
Hildegarde,  death  is  my  only  resource  ;  but  I 
shudder  at  the  thought  of  staining  my  hands 
with  other  blood  than  my  own.  The  double 
crime  is  more  than  I  can  resolve  upon." 

"  Ah,  I  see  now,"  said  she,  forcing  a  smile  ; 
"  you  are  only  trying  to  frighten  me,  as  you  have 
often  done  before." 

He  shook  his  head,  and  continued.  "  As  long 
as  I  had  the  faintest  hope  of  obtaining  your 
affection,  I  was  a  different  being  ;  you  might 
have  made  of  me  what  you  pleased — and  I  should 
have  gained  your  love  but  for  this  supercilious 
Englishman,  for  you  were  disposed  to  like  me  at 
first." 

"  As  a  relation — yes." 

"  More  than  that — much  more,  Hildegarde," 
cried  Raimund,  vehemently. 

"  And  had  I  loved  you  more  than  as  a  cousin, 
what  purpose  would  it  have  served  ?  Our  rela- 
tionship is  too  near  to  permit  of  a  marriage." 

"  Nothing  easier  than  obtaining  a  dispensa- 
tion," cried  Raimund,  eagerly,  and  in  a  moment 
losing  all  violence  of  manner  and  voice. 

"  But  we  are  both  without  fortune,"  said  Hil- 
degarde. 

"  I  could  quit  the  army.  There  are  many 
situations  which  I  could  obtain.  We  should  be 
poor,  indeed,  very  poor  ;  but  what  is  poverty 
when Oh  !  Hildegarde,  has  this  considera- 
tion caused  your  coldness,  or  are  you What 


Sle&ge.  137 


a  fool  I  am  !  "  he  exclaimed,  passionately.  "  She 
treats  me  like  a  madman  from  whom  she  would 
escape  without  witnessing  a  paroxysm  !  Go,  you 
have  tortured  me  —  deliberately  —  most  horribly. 
Go,  I  would  hate  you  if  I  could  !  " 

Hildegarde  began  slowly  to  ascend  the  stairs  ; 
as  she  turned  to  the  next  flight  an  unusual  sound 
made  her  look  downwards,  and  she  perceived 
her  cousin  vainly  endeavouring  to  suppress  the 
fearful  emotion  which  agitated  his  whole  frame. 
A  man's  tears  are  a  phenomenon  too  rare  to  be 
seen  unmoved.  Hildegarde  stopped,  and  held 
out  her  hand.  "  Oscar,  dear  Oscar,  what  I  said 
was  not  in  heartlessness,  but  in  the  hope  of  con- 
vincing you  of  the  utter  impossibility  of  our 
ever  being  more  to  each  other  than  cousins. 
Think  of  your  solemn  engagement  to  Marie  —  of 
your  promises  to  your  father.  Remember  that 
no  situation  you  could  ever  obtain  would  enable 
you  to  pay  your  debts  !  " 

"  True  —  most  true.  I  was  dreaming  just  now," 
said  Raimund,  with  forced  composure.  "  I  am 
sorry  to  have  kept  you  so  long  here  —  in  the  cold. 
Go,  Mr.  Hamilton  is  waiting  for  you  !  " 

"  He  is  not.  I  shall  most  probably  not  see 
him  until  evening." 

Raimund  looked  up,  smiled  mournfully,  and 
then  rushed  down  the  stairs. 

A  minute  later  Hildegarde  was  in  her  room  ; 
her  cloak  and  boa  almost  suffocated  her,  and 
she  shook  them  off  impatiently,  sank  on  a 


138  Gbe  flnfttate. 


chair,  and  murmured  :  "  What  shall  I  do  ? 
What  ought  I  to  do  ?  Oscar  will  quarrel  with 
him — kill  him,  and  I  shall  be  the  cause.  He 
must  leave  Munich — leave  us,  and  return  to 
England."  Here  she  sprang  from  her  chair,  and 
walked  up  and  down  the  room  for  a  few  minutes. 
"  Is  there,  then,  no  other  way  of  keeping  him 
out  of  danger  ?  Suppose  he  could  be  induced  to 

go  to  the  Z 's  ?  He  said  he  intended  to  visit 

them.  If  he  only  could  go  until  after  Oscar's 
marriage  ?  A  fortnight — only  two  weeks,  and  all 
danger  would  be  over  !  I  must  speak  to  him, 
even  if  he  insists  on  knowing  everything.  I 
wonder  if  he  is  in  the  drawing-room  ? " 

He  was  not,  nor  in  the  school-room,  and  she 
had  not  the  courage  to  seek  him  in  his  apart- 
ment. She  hoped  to  find  an  opportunity  in  the 
course  of  the  next  day,  although  with  female 
quickness  she  had  already  observed  that  he  no 
longer  sought  to  be  alone  with  her,  or  in  any  way 
to  occupy  her  attention.  Hamilton's  motives 
were  honourable,  but  he  could  scarcely  have 
chosen  a  more  judicious  mode  of  conduct  in 
order  to  facilitate  their  intercourse  ;  it  had  al- 
ready convinced  Mr.  Rosenberg  of  his  indiffer- 
ence to  his  daughter  just  when  he  had  began  to 
entertain  suspicions  to  the  contrary,  and  con- 
firmed Madame  Rosenberg  in  the  idea  that 
Hamilton  actually  disliked  her. 

After  wandering  about  the  house  for  some 
time,  Hildegarde  returned  to  her  room,  and  en- 


SIeD0e,  139 


deavoured  to  arrange  her  thoughts,  and  her  balls 
of  coloured  worsted  and  silks,  until  the  return  of 
her  family.  They  came  late,  and  talked  loudly 
and  gayly  on  their  arrival.  When  Crescenz 
entered  the  room,  she  immediately  exclaimed, 
"  Oh  !  Hildegarde,  we  have  had  such  a  pleasant 
party  —  such  a  number  of  people,  and  such  good 
coffee  !  and  the  Bergers.  Oh  dear,  I  was  so 
sorry  that  you  and  -  but  I  had  almost  forgot- 
ten, mamma  says  you  must  make  tea  directly  for 
Mr.  Hamilton,  he  is  going  to  the  theatre,  there  is 
an  opera,  and  he  wishes  to  hear  the  overture." 

Hildegarde  pushed  back  her  work-frame,  and 
left  the  room  to  seek  the  breakfast  service  of 
highly  gilt  china,  which  Madame  Rosenberg  had 
received  as  a  wedding  present,  and  which,  though 
certainly  intended  by  the  donor  to  have  been 
"kept  for  show,"  she  had  latterly  appropriated 
to  Hamilton's  use,  whenever  he  drank  tea  alone, 
and  this  was  generally  the  case  the  evenings  he 
went  to  the  theatre.  When  she  carried  it  to  the 
drawing-room,  she  found  her  father,  mother,  and 
Major  Stultz  with  him,  and  as  she  poured  out 
the  weak  beverage,  and  arranged  the  plate  of 
bread  and  butter,  her  mother  continued  speaking 
—  "  We  thought  you  did  not  choose  to  hear  us  — 
but  then  what  motive  could  you  have  ?  " 

"  What  !  indeed  !  "  said  Hamilton. 

"The  Major  shouted  the  words  Nymphenburg 
and  coffee  as  loud  as  he  could  ;  he  thought 
they  might  give  you  an  idea  what  we  meant." 


140  Gbe  Ifnttials. 


"  We  heard  nothing.  The  confounded  bells 
made  such  a  noise." 

"  The  bells  are  very  useful  when  it  grows 
foggy,  or  dark,  as  we  found  this  evening,"  ob- 
served Major  Stultz. 

"  Hildegarde,  you  may  light  the  candles — Mr. 
Hamilton  cannot  find  the  way  to  his  mouth." 

Hildegarde  brought  them,  while  Crescenz,  who 
had  joined  the  others,  continued  repeating  :  "  So 
pleasant,  so  gay  !  So  many  people  !  And  then 
about  the  upset — did  you  relate  about  that  ? " 

"  No,"  cried  Hamilton,  looking  up  ;  "  pray  tell 
me  about  it.  You  don't  mean  to  say  you  were 
upset  ? " 

"  Oh,  no  !  But  a  young  Englishman  and  his 
wife  were  thrown  out  of  their  sledge  to-day 
when  they  were  driving  around  the  palings  at 
Nymphenburg.  Captain  What-'s-his-name  told 
us  all  about  it,  and  they  were  so  young  and  so 
handsome,  he  said." 

"  Your  countrymen  can  drive  mail-coaches 
better  than  sledges,"  said  Major  Stultz,  laugh- 
ing. 

"  It  is  not  proved  that  they  were  English," 
said  Hamilton,  with  a  smile  only  perceptible  to 
Hildegarde.  "  They  may  have  been  Germans." 

"  Zimmermann  said  they  were  certainly  Eng- 
lish, and  he  understands  the  language.  The 
lady  thanked  him  in  French  for  extricating  her 
out  of  the  snow  ;  he  says  she  was  quite  English- 
looking,  and  uncommonly  handsome  !  " 


ttbe  Sledge.  141 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  his  judgment  on  that 
subject,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  And,"  said  Crescenz,  "  her  husband  seemed 
so  fond  of  her,  and  said  all  sorts  of  things 
to  her  when  he  assisted  her  into  the  sledge 
again !  " 

"  All  sorts  of  things  !  "  cried  Hamilton,  laugh- 
ing ;  "  such  as,  for  instance " 

"  Oh,  I  cannot  say  the  English  words — I  have 
never  heard  you  say  anything  that  sounded  like 
them." 

"  Of  course  not — I  must  wait  until  I  have  a 
wife,  I  suppose." 

Hildegarde's  face  had  flushed  during  this  con- 
versation. Hamilton  seemed  so  much  amused 
with  it,  that  he  forgot  the  overture  he  had  been 
so  anxious  to  hear.  "  Your  friend  did  not  know 
at  all  who  they  were  ? "  he  asked,  bending  over  his 
tea-cup. 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  answered  Major  Stultz  ; 
"  but  the  lady  made  a  great  impression  on  Zim- 
mermann,  he  seemed  altogether  to  have  fallen  in 
love  with  her  !  " 

"  Oh,  ho  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Rosenberg,  "  what 
did  his  wife  say  to  that  ? " 

"  She  said  she  had  no  cause  for  jealousy,  the 
Englishwoman  did  not  look  at  anyone — she  only 
seemed  anxious  to  assure  her  husband  that  she 
was  not  in  the  least  hurt,  though  she  must  have 
been  considerably  bruised,  and  she  appeared  to 
wish  everyone  else  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea ! 


142  Gbe  flnftfals. 


A  good  example  for  you,  Crescenz,  next  month, 
eh?" 

Crescenz  looked  silly,  and  turned  away. 

"  Half-past  six  !  "  cried  Mr.  Rosenberg,  look- 
ing at  his  watch  ;  "  I  must  be  off.  Mr.  Hamilton 
seems  to  forget  that  he  intended  to  go  with  me  to 
the  theatre.  The  overture  will  be  over." 

"  But  not  the  ballet,"  said  Hamilton,  "  and  the 
ballet  in  Robert  is  what  I  like  best  ;  if  I  be  in 
time  for  that  and  the  Princess's  aria,  I  am  satis- 
fied." 

Mr.  Rosenberg,  who  went  regularly  four  times 
a  week  to  the  theatre,  and  particularly  disliked 
arriving  late,  partly  from  the  fear  of  being 
obliged  to  walk  over  his  neighbours'  feet  in 
order  to  reach  his  chair,  partly  from  long  habits 
of  punctuality,  after  a  few  minutes'  indulgence  of 
civilly  expressive  impatience,  quitted  the  room, 
bowing  over  his  watch,  which  he  still  held, in  his 
hand,  as  a  sort  of  excuse  to  Hamilton. 

"  I  thought  you  intended  to  go  too  ? "  said 
Crescenz  to  Major  Stultz. 

"  Yes,  Zimmermann  has  given  me  his  place 
to-night,  but  I  believe  I  shall  wait  for  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton." 

"  I  shall  be  delighted,"  said  Hamilton,  "  but 
you  must  not  expect  me  to  leave  this  warm  room 
for  an  hour  at  least." 

"An  hour  !  "  exclaimed  Major  Stultz  ;  "why, 
half  the  opera  will  be  over." 

"  Very  likely,  but  I  have  heard  it  so  often." 


Gbe  SleOge,  143 

"  Do  you  forget  the  ballet  ?  " 

"  Very  likely  I  shall,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  I  knew,"  cried  Crescenz, "  I  knew  he  did  not 
really  care  for  the  ballet." 

"  Excuse  me,  but  I  do  care  for  the  ballet,  and 
I  should  care  more  for  it  if  the  dancers  were 
prettier,  and  had  not  such  thick  ankles  !  " 

"  Smooth  waters  run  deep,"  said  Major  Stultz. 
"  It  is  a  pity,  Crescenz,  your  mother  did  not  hear 
that  speech,  she  would  hardly  have  believed  her 
own  ears  !  " 

"  Why  not  ? "  said  Hamilton.  "  Do  you  mean 
to  say  that  you  do  not,  or  did  not  formerly,  like 
seeing  a  ballet  and  pretty  women  too  ? " 

"  We  will  not  discuss  this  subject  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  young  ladies,"  said  Major  Stultz. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  discuss,"  said  Hamilton, 
carelessly  ;  "  I  like  seeing  pretty  faces,  and 
pretty  ankles,  and  graceful  figures,  and  I  believe 
I  am  not  singular  in  my  taste  ;  perhaps,  however, 
you  prefer  the  flowing  hair  which  will  be  ex- 
hibited to-night.  By-the-by,  one  girl  has  the 
very  longest  and  thickest  hair  I  ever  saw.  Have 
you  not  observed  it  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  Crescenz 's,  however,  is  nearly  as  long, 
I  should  think,"  replied  Major  Stultz,  touching 
the  thick  plats  which  were  wound  round  the  back 
of  her  head. 

"  She  would  make  a  charming  ballet-dancer  in 
every  respect,"  murmured  Hamilton  in  French, 
while  he  laughingly  glanced  at  her. 


144  £be  flnittals. 


"  What  does  he  say  ? "  asked  Major  Stultz,  who 
observed  that  Crescenz  blushed  and  smiled  alter- 
nately. "  What  does  he  say  ?  " 

"  To  think  of  his  caring  so  much  for  a  ballet !  " 
answered  Crescenz,  evasively,  while  she  still 
blushed,  and  then  laughed  as  she  added,  "  and 
you  know  all  mamma  said  about  his  being 
religious,  and  not  going  out  in  the  evenings,  or 
on  Sunday  to  the  theatre." 

"  I  suspect  your  mother  has  a  better  opinion 
of  him  than  he  deserves,"  whispered  Major  Stultz. 
Crescenz,  however,  shook  her  head  so  incred- 
ulously, or  so  coquettishly,  that  he  added,  "  Do 
not  think  me  jealous  ;  it  is  impossible,  now  that 
I  know  who  is  the  real  object  of  his  devotion." 

"  Ah,  you  mean  Hildegarde,"  said  Crescenz, 
carelessly. 

"  Oh,  no." 

"  Who  then  ?  "  asked  Crescenz,  turning  towards 
him  quickly,  curiosity  depicted  in  every  feature, 
"who?" 

"  I  can  scarcely  tell  you — as  he  has  chosen  a 
married  woman " 

Crescenz  looked  aghast.  Major  Stultz's  jeal- 
ousy conquered  his  usual  circumspection — the 
moment  was  too  favourable  for  making  an  im- 
pression— he  bent  towards  her  and  whispered, 
"  No  other  than  your  friend,  Madame  Berger." 

"  Impossible  !  " 

"  Certain,  nevertheless.  When  your  mother 
forbade  his  returning  here,  he  was  invited  to 


tTbe  SleDge.  145 

spend  his  disengaged  evenings  at  her  house.  He 
knows  the  Doctor  well ;  besides,  Berger  is  Zed- 
witz's  physician,  and  they  have  often  met  lately. 
Had  the  thing  been  feasible,  Hamilton  would,  I 
have  no  doubt,  have  taken  up  his  quarters  in 
their  house  !  " 

Crescenz  for  once  in  her  life  seemed  to  think, 
and  think  deeply.  All  Major  Stultz's  efforts  to 
continue  the  conversation  were  fruitless  ;  she 
bent  her  head  over  her  work,  and  scarcely  heard 
his  excuses  and  regrets  that  he  was  going  to  the 
theatre  without  her.  After  he  had  left  the  room, 
there  was  a  long  pause.  Hildegarde  had  been 
leaning  her  head  on  her  hand  for  the  last  half 
hour,  apparently  unconscious  of  what  was  going 
on  about  her.  Crescenz  moved  softly  towards 
her,  and  on  pretence  of  consulting  her  about 
her  work,  contrived  to  relate  what  she  had  just 
heard. 

Hildegarde  became  so  suddenly  and  remark- 
ably pale,  that  Hamilton,  who  was  in  the  habit 
of  watching  her,  immediately  perceived  it,  and 
exclaimed,  "  What  is  the  matter  ?  Are  you 
ill  ? " 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  she  answered,  hastily 
rising  and  walking  to  the  other  end  of  the  room. 

"  But  is  it  not  odious  ?  "  cried  Crescenz,  indig- 
nantly ;  "  she  is  the  very  last  person  I  should 
have  thought  of  !  " 

"  And  the  very  first  I  should  have  suspected," 
said  Hildegarde. 


VOL.  n.— 10 


146  .  £be  Initials. 


The  house-bell  rang,  and  a  slight  noise  in  the 
passage  was  followed  by  the  entrance  of  the  per- 
son who  had  been  the  subject  of  conversation. 
"  How  very  odd  !  "  exclaimed  Crescenz,  while 
Madame  Berger,  advancing  towards  Hamilton, 
held  out  her  hand,  saying,  "  A  r Anglaise  ;  how  I 
like  your  English  custom  of  shaking  hands — it  is 
so  friendly  !  Bon  soir,  Hildegarde.  Give  me  a 
kiss,  Cressy.  Here  I  am,  come  all  in  the  snow 
on  foot  to  talk  over  our  first  ball,  eh  ?  and  to  ar- 
range the  party  of  which  we  spoke,"  she  added, 
turning  to  Hamilton. 

"  How  provoking — and  I  am  just  preparing  to 
go  to  the  theatre  !  " 

"  You  most  uncivil  person  !  Can  you  not 
bestow  half  an  hour  on  me  ?  " 

"  An  hour — two  hours,  if  you  in  the  slightest 
degree  wish  it.  My  regrets  were  for  myself." 

Hildegarde  and  Crescenz  looked  at  each  other. 

"  I  have  not,"  he  continued  gayly,  "  forgotten 
the  pleasant  evenings  which  I  spent  in  your  house 
during  my  banishment — they  will  ever  remain 
among  my  most  agreeable  recollections." 

"  Perhaps  I  may  give  them  a  place  among  mine 
too,"  said  Madame  Berger,  seating  herself  on  the 
sofa,  and  taking  her  knitting  apparatus  out  of  her 
pocket.  Her  fingers  were  soon  in  such  quick 
motion,  that  it  was  impossible  to  follow  them,  but 
so  expert  was  she  in  this  kind  of  work,  that  her 
head  turned  in  every  direction,  and  her  eyes 
wandered  round  the  room  as  if  she  had  been 


Gbe  SleDge.  147 


totally  unoccupied.  "Why,  girls,  what  is  the 
matter  with  you  both  this  evening  ?  I  never  saw 
you  so  dull.  We  can  fancy  ourselves t$te-&-t&te" 
she  said,  laughingly,  to  Hamilton,  "  if  you  would 
only  cease  playing  with  your  teaspoon  and  sit 
down  beside  me  here." 

Hamilton  immediately  took  the  offered  place, 
and  Madame  Berger,  half  playfully,  half  mali- 
ciously, turned  quite  away  from  the  sisters. 
"  Well,"  she  continued,  glancing  covertly  towards 
them  ;  "  to-morrow  is  our  first  ball  ;  of  course 
you  have  heard  of  our  muslin  dresses  and  wreaths 
of  roses  ? " 

"  No,"  said  Hamilton,  "  I  only  returned  here 
yesterday  evening,  and  have  heard  nothing  about 
it.  Where  is  the  ball  ? " 

"  At  the  Museum.  You  are  a  member  of  the 
club,  I  believe — it  is  there  you  read  the  foreign 
newspapers,  you  know.  I  shall  keep  a  waltz  or 
galop  for  you." 

"  To-morrow,  did  you  say  ?  and  I  am  invited 
to  a  private  ball  at  Court  !  If  it  were  only  the 
day  after  !  " 

"  This  all  comes  from  cholera  !  "  cried  Mad- 
ame Berger,  in  a  tone  of  vexation.  "  Everything 
heaped  together  at  the  end  of  the  carnival ! 
There  is  to  be  a  masquerade  at  the  theatre  on 
Monday  ;  you  said  you  wished  to  go  to  one ; 
let  us  at  least  arrange  something  about  that." 

"  Can  you  not  promise  to  be  of  the  party  ?  " 
said  Hamilton,  turning  to  Hildegarde. 


148  Cbe  ITnttiate. 


"  It  will  altogether  depend  upon  papa,"  she 
answered  coldly,  and  then  left  the  room  without 
looking  towards  the  speakers. 

"  Come  here,  Crescenz,"  said  Madame  Berger, 
"  come  here,  and  I  will  tell  you  how  we  can  man- 
age it :  your  mother  intends  to  go  some  day  or 
other  to  see  her  father.  Why  not  on  Monday,  if 
Mr.  Hamilton  offers  his  sledge  ?  " 

"  Oh,  she  is  so  afraid  of  his  horses,  that  noth- 
ing would  tempt  her  to  take  them." 

"  Well,  then,  the  Doctor  must  lend  his  old 
greys,  for  on  Monday  both  she  and  your  father 
must  be  out  of  the  way.  Don't  be  so  stupid  as 
to  say  this  to  Hildegarde,  however  !  " 

"  Oh,  mamma  will  never  trust  us  with  you 
alone,"  said  Crescenz. 

"  I  suspected  as  much,  and  have  engaged  old 
Lustig  to  go  with  us  ;  she  will  do  whatever  we 
please,  and  I  have  promised  to  arrange  a  '  bat ' 
for  her  like  my  own  ;  we  will  all  go  as  bats. 
Shall  we  be  black  or  white  ?  " 

"  Which  is  the  most  becoming?"  asked  Crescenz. 

"  Becoming !  why,  child,  I  do  believe  you 
don't  know  what  I  mean.  A  bat  as  mask  means 
a  domino  so  arranged  that  one  cannot  see  even 
the  form  of  the  head,  the  smallest  lock  of  hair, 
or  even  quite  know  whether  the  person  be  a  man 
or  woman." 

"  I  thought  we  should  have  had  something 
pretty,"  said  Crescenz,  disappointed,  "  such  as 
Grecian  costumes," 


tTbe  Sle&ge.  149 

"  You  may  dress  yourself  as  a  Greek  or  a 
Turk,  if  you  like,  but  you  may  be  recognised 
and  tormented.  For  my  part,  I  go  to  worry 
others,  and  have  decided  on  a  black  domino — a 
complete  capuchin  ;  Mr.  Hamilton  and  Madame 
Lustig  the  same  ;  you  and  Hildegarde  may  of 
course  arrange  as  you  please." 

"  Oh  dear  !  I  am  afraid  Hildegarde  will  not 
go  without  asking  papa's  leave." 

"  Don't  say  a  word  more  about  the  matter  to 
her  ;  she  will  think  we  have  forgotten  it,  and — 
when  papa  and  mamma  are  gone,  I  will  come 
and  arrange  everything." 

"  Oh  dear,  how  nice  !  "  cried  Crescenz,  seat- 
ing herself  confidentially  beside  her  friend,  but 
a  moment  after  she  sprang  up,  assumed  a  digni- 
fied air,  and  walked  towards  the  door. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  leave  us,  Cressy  ?  "  ex- 
claimed Madame  Berger,  surprised. 

"  I  am  going  to  tell  mamma  that  you  are  here," 
she  replied,  stiffly. 

"  Oh,  my  dear  creature,  she  has  heard  from 
Walburg  long  ago.  She  is  engaged  with  the 
children,  or  counting  linen,  or  something  of 
that  sort.  Stay  here  like  a  love,  and  play  pro- 
priety." 

"  But  I  don't  choose  to  play  propriety,"  said 
Crescenz,  angrily,  as  she  left  the  room. 

Madame  Berger  looked  amazed  for  a  moment, 
and  then  burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter.  "  I  do 
believe  the  child  is  jealous  !  "  she  exclaimed. 


fnitials. 


"  How  ridiculous !  how  amusing  !  I  wish  it 
were  Hildegarde — I  would  give — what  would  I 
not  give  to  make  her  jealous  for  half  an  hour  ! 
It  would  be  sublime  !  Theodor  could  assist  me 
if  he  chose." 

"  You  think  she  likes  him  ?  "  said  Hamilton. 

"  He  says  not,  but  I  can  discover  no  other 
person.  Can  you  believe  that  she  cares  for  no 
one  ?  " 

"  She  cares  a  great  deal  for  her  father,"  an- 
swered Hamilton. 

"  Ah,  bah — a  person  of  her  violent  temperament 
must  have  zgrande  passion  before  this  time." 

"  I  have  not  lately  seen  anything  like  violence," 
said  Hamilton. 

"  A  certain  proof  that  she  is  desirous  of  pleas- 
ing some  one." 

"  I  should  have  no  objection  to  be  the  person 
she  is  desirous  of  pleasing,"  said  Hamilton  ; 
"  she  is  perfectly  amiable  with  her  father ; 
should  she  bestow  one  of  the  looks  intended 
for  him  upon  me,  I  confess  I  should  be 

"  And  has  she  really  never  tried  to  make  you 
say  civil  things  to  her  ? "  asked  Madame  Berger, 
quickly. 

"  On  the  contrary,  she  has  provoked  me  to  say 
very  uncivil  things  sometimes." 

"  And  so  you  have  been  obliged  to  amuse 
yourself  with  poor  simple  Crescenz  ?  " 

"  Who,"  said  Hamilton.  "  is  the  most  innocent 
being  in  the  world — a  pretty  child ' 


JBall  at  tbe  Aueeum  Club. 


"  A  pretty  fool  !  "  cried  Madame  Berger,  "  but 
let  us  talk  of  our  masquerade  —  you  will  go  at  all 
events  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"  And  dressed  in  black  —  and  masked  ?  " 

"  Agreed." 

"  You  have  no  idea  how  amusing  it  is  !  One 
can  say  all  sorts  of  impertinent  things  —  even  to 
the  royal  family  when  they  are  present.  Masks 
are  allowed  perfect  impunity." 

"  But  should  you  be  discovered  afterwards  ?  " 

"  I  shall  deny  knowing  anything  about  the 
matter,  of  course." 

Hamilton  had  not  time  to  reply  by  word  or 
look,  for  at  this  moment  supper  was  announced. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

A    BALL    AT    THE    MUSEUM    CLUB. 

"  T  HOPE  we  shall  have  no  visitors,"  said  Cres- 
*  cenz  the  next  day,  after  having  examined 
herself  for  some  time  attentively  in  the  glass 
which  was  between  the  windows  in  the  drawing- 
room.  "  I  hope  we  shall  have  no  visitors,  for 
these  curl-papers  are  certainly  not  becoming. 
If  mamma  had  allowed,  I  should  have  passed 
the  day  in  my  own  room,  that  nobody  might  see 
them.  Don't  you  think  me  very  ugly  to-day  ?  " 
she  added,  turning  to  Hamilton,  who,  as  usual, 
was  close  to  the  stove. 


152  Gbe  Untttats. 


"You  are  not  ugly,  but  the  curl-papers  are," 
he  answered,  looking  at  her  over  his  book. 

"  But  we  shall  look  so  well  with  long  curls  in 
the  evening,"  she  said,  half  appealing  to  her 
sister,  who  was  standing  at  the  window  with 
some  intricate  piece  of  work.  "  What  a  pity  one 
cannot  have  curls  without  curl-papers." 

"  They  are  dearly  bought  if  you  are  obliged 
to  wear  your  hair  twisted  up  in  that  manner  all 
day,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  I  thought  Englishwomen  very  often  had 
long  curls." 

"So  they  have — but  they  never  appear  in  a 
drawing-room  with  curl-papers." 

"  They  certainly  are  very  unbecoming,"  said 
Crescenz,  again  inspecting  herself  in  the  glass. 
"  I  have  a  great  mind  to  arrange  my  braids 
again.  After  all,  my  hair  will  perhaps  fall  out 
of  curl  during  the  first  waltz.  You  know, 
Hildegarde,  at  the  examinations  I  was  obliged  to 
fasten  up  the  curls  with  a  comb  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  I  remember  the  curls  became  you 
extremely " 

"  Hildegarde,"  whispered  Crescenz,  coming 
close  to  her  sister,  "  you  know  Mr.  Hamilton 
cannot  go  to  the  ball,  and  if  he  thinks  the  curl- 
papers so  very  ugly " 

"  I  should  think  Major  Stultz's  opinion  of 
more  consequence  to  you,"  answered  Hilde- 
garde ;  "  and,"  she  added  loud  enough  to  be 
heard,  "  you  know  if  Mr.  Hamilton  dislike  so 


B  JBall  at  tbe  Museum  Club.          153 

much  seeing  curl-papers,  he  has  only  to  avoid 
looking  at  us  for  the  remainder  of  the  day." 

Hamilton  closed  his  book,  looked  out  of  the 
window  at  the  thickly-falling  snow,  and  then 
left  the  room.  Crescenz  immediately  exclaimed, 
"  Oh,  Hildegarde,  you  have  offended  him  !  How 
can  you  be  so  unkind  ?  " 

"  Is  it  unkind  to  tell  him  not  to  look  at  us  for 
a  few  hours  ? "  Hildegarde  asked,  laughing. 

"  You  are  so  unnecessarily  rude  to  him  some- 
times— yesterday  evening,  for  instance,  you 
scarcely  answered  him  when  he  spoke  to  you." 

"  Because  I  was  occupied  with  my  father.  I 
hope  you  have  no  objection  to  my  preferring  his 
conversation  to  Mr.  Hamilton's  !  " 

"  But  you  were  only  talking  about  the  opera 
to  papa,  who  would  have  been  very  glad  if  you 
had  allowed  him  to  hear  what  Mr.  Hamilton  was 
telling  Lina  Berger  about  a  picnic  party  on  the 
Thames.  Lina  says  he  is  the  most  fascinating 
young  man  she  ever  met,  not  even  excepting 
Theodor  Biedermann  !  " 

"  And  Mr.  Hamilton  will  tell  you,  if  you  ask 
him,  that  Madame  Berger  is  the  most 'fascinating 
young  woman  he  ever  met  with,  not  even  except- 
ing Crescenz  Rosenberg." 

"  Oh,  dear ;  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  Major 
Stultz  was  quite  mistaken.  Lina  explained  every- 
thing before  she  left  yesterday  evening.  Mr. 
Hamilton  only  went  to  hear  her  play  waltzes  !  " 

Hildegarde  shook  her  head  incredulously. 


154  tlbe  flnitiats. 


"  You  do  not  believe  her  ? " 

"  No." 

"  Well,  I  do  ;  and  I  will  manage  to  find  out 
from  Mr.  Hamilton  the  whole  truth." 

"  Don't  attempt  anything  of  the  kind,  Cres- 
cenz ;  you  will  only  make  yourself  ridiculous." 

"We  shall  see,"  said  Crescenz,  nodding  her 
head  as  she  left  the  room. 

When  she  returned  to  the  drawing-room  her 
hair  was  braided  in  the  usual  manner ;  and  she 
rather  unwillingly  confessed  that  she  had  seen 
Hamilton,  who  had  said  that  he  "  thought  braids 
infinitely  more  becoming  than  curls  for  young 
and  pretty  persons  !  " 

"  I  greatly  fear  Mr.  Hamilton  is  beginning  to 
amuse  himself  again  at  your  expense,"  observed 
Hildegarde,  with  some  irritation. 

"  He  did  not  seem  to  be  amusing  himself  ;  he 
spoke  quite  gravely,  and  papa,  who  was  present, 
agreed  with  him." 

Hildegarde's  hand  rose  to  her  head,  and  her 
fingers  impatiently  contracted  themselves  round 
the  offending  curl-papers.  "If  I  had  known 
that  papa  thought  so,  I  should  never  have  curled 
my  hair,  but  now  it  is  too  late  ;  Mr.  Hamilton 
will  think  I  have  tried  to  please  him,  and " 

"  Oh,  dear,  no,"  cried  Crescenz  ;  "  he  did  not 
seem  in  the  least  to  think  I  had  braided  my  hair 
to  please  him.  He  was  talking  to  papa  about 
religion  and  philosophy,  and  some  acquaintances 
of  the  name  of  Hegel  and  Schelling." 


H  JBall  at  tbe  dfcueeum  Club.          155 

Hildegarde  smiled.  "  If  they  were  talking  of 
Hegel  and  Schelling,  I  dare  say  he  has  forgotten 
us  and  our  curls.  I  could  not  possibly  think  of 
sacrificing  my  ringlets  to  please  him,  and  papa 
I  shall  probably  not  see  until  evening." 

Hamilton  took  her  advice  more  literally  than 
she  just  then  wished  :  he  remained  in  his  room 
the  rest  of  the  day,  and  thus  avoided  seeing  her 
again.  She  felt  that  a  few  words  spoken  in  a 
moment  of  irritation  had  deprived  her  of  all 
chance  of  seeing  him  alone  for  a  few  minutes,  in 
order  to  induce  him  to  avoid  her  cousin,  and  go 
the  ensuing  week  to  the  Z 's ;  but  she  con- 
soled herself  by  thinking  that  at  least  they  were  not 
likely  to  meet  during  that  evening,  as  Raimund 
had  not  been  invited  to  the  ball  at  Court,  and 
was  to  accompany  his  betrothed  to  the  Museum. 

As  soon  as  it  was  dusk,  the  sisters  disappeared. 
Madame  Rosenberg  in  vain  sent  to  request  they 
would  come  to  supper.  They  were  not  hungry. 
They  could  not  eat.  "  Quite  natural !  "  observed 
their  father,  helping  himself  to  some  salmi  and 
cold  turkey.  "  Quite  natural !  Who  ever  heard 
of  a  girl  eating  before  she  went  to  her  first  ball  ? 
I  suppose,  however,  they  will  soon  be  dressed ; 
so  I  think,  Babette,  you  might  now  put  on  your 
own  brown  silk  dress  and  pink  turban  ;  it  would 
be  a  pity  if  they  were  to  lose  a  dance  !  Mr. 
Hamilton  has  offered  to  leave  us  at  the  Museum, 
on  his  way  to  the  palace." 

Madame  Rosenberg  poured  out  a  glass  of  beer, 


tTbe  Untttats. 


drank  it  quickly,  and  left  the  room.  A  few 
minutes  afterwards,  Hildegarde  and  her  sister 
entered,  in  all  the  charms  of  youth  and  white 
muslin.  "  Is  she  not  beautiful  ?  "  exclaimed 
Crescenz,  for  a  moment  forgetting  herself  in  her 
admiration  of  her  sister.  "  Is  she  not  beautiful  ? 
Ah,  I  knew  you  would  admire  curls,"  she  added 
as  a  sort  of  reply  to  Hamilton's  look  of  most 
genuine  admiration.  "  Curls  are  prettier  than 
braids  after  all !  "  She  drew  her  hand,  as  she 
spoke,  over  her  smooth  shining  hair,  and  glanced 
regretfully  towards  the  looking-glass. 

Hildegarde  turned  from  Hamilton  with  a  slightly 
conscious  blush.  Never  had  he  seen  or  imagined 
anyone  so  lovely  as  she  appeared  to  him  at  that 
moment.  The  long  waving  ringlets  of  her  rich 
brown  hair  relieved  the  slightly  severe.expression 
of  her  almost  too  regular  features,  while  her 
beautifully-formed  figure,  seen  to  advantage  in 
her  light  ball-dress,  attracted  equally  by  its  round- 
ness and  delicacy.  Had  Hamilton  seen  her  for 
the  first  time  that  evening,  he  would  have  been 
captivated.  When  we,  however,  remember  that 
she  had  been  for  months  the  object  of  his  first 
love,  that  he  had  resided  in  the  same  house,  and 
had  had  opportunities  of  knowing  and  judging 
her  by  no  means  commonplace  ideas,  as  they  had 
studied  together,  and  that  he  was  at  a  time  of 
life  when  the  feelings  are  most  impetuous,  we 
may  form  some  idea  of  the  emotion  which,  for 
some  minutes,  deprived  him  of  the  power  of 


a  3Ball  at  tbe  ASuseum  Club.          157 

utterance.  Hildegarde  was  so  perfectly  inde- 
pendent in  thought  and  action  ;  she  required  so 
little  of  that  protection  which  her  sex  usually 
seek,  that  had  she  not  been  eminently  handsome, 
she  would  probably  have  found  more  people  dis- 
posed to  admire  her  character  than  love  her  per- 
son. Men  especially  do  not  often  bestow  affec- 
tion on  such  women  ;  but,  when  they  do,  it  is 
with  a  degree  of  passion  which  they  seldom  or 
never  feel  for  the  more  gentle  or  weaker  of  the 
sex.  And  so — irresistibly  attracted  by  her  beauty, 
and  perhaps  hoping  to  find  feelings  as  strong 
as  her  mind,  three  men  now  loved  her  with 
characteristic  fervour  ;  her  cousin,  with  an  inten- 
sity bordering  on  insanity  ;  Zedwitz  with  the 
glowing  steadiness  of  his  disposition  and  years, 
and  Hamilton  with  all  the  ardour  of  extreme 
youth. 

"  I  thought  Hildegarde  would  have  worn  one 
of  my  bracelets  this  evening,"  said  Crescenz.  "  I 
offered  her  the  choice  of  them  all !  " 

"  That  was  very  kind  of  you,  Crescenz,"  said 
her  father,  "but  Hildegarde  does  not  care  for 
ornaments  of  that  kind." 

"  But  look  at  that  ugly  little  hair-bracelet  which 
she  insists  upon  wearing,"  said  Crescenz,  laugh- 
ing. "  If  she  had  bracelets  of  her  own,  she 
would  wear  them,  I  am  sure.  Everyone  must 
like  bracelets  !  " 

Mr.  Rosenberg  took  Hildegarde's  hand,  and 
raised  her  passive  arm  towards  his  eyes,  in  order 


1 58  tlbe  initials. 


to  inspect  the  bracelet.  "  It  is  not  ugly,  nor  ill 
chosen  either,"  he  observed,  smiling  ;  "  a  black 
bracelet  makes  an  arm  look  fairer  still ;  but  I 
own  I  did  not  think  my  treasure  studied  such 
things  !  " 

Hildegarde,  with  a  look  of  annoyance,  hastily 
unclasped  the  bracelet,  and  threw  it  into  her 
work-basket. 

"  Don't  be  offended,  Hildegarde.  Every  woman 
should  endeavour  to  improve  her  appearance  as 
much  as  possible.  Your  arm  is  round  and  white, 
and  the  bracelet  pretty  ;  it  ought,  perhaps,  to 
have  been  a  little  broader,  but  the  horse-hair  was 
scarce,  it  seems  !  However,  you  can  wear  it 
very  creditably ;  at  a  little  distance,  people  will 
think  it  the  hair  of  some  very  dear  friend  !  " 

Madame  Rosenberg  made  her  appearance  at 
this  moment,  in  a  state  of  ludicrous  distress  ;  she 
had  tried  to  force  her  large  hands  into  a  pair  of 
small  French  gloves.  One,  from  its  elasticity, 
had  been  drawn  somewhat  over  the  half  of  one 
hand,  leaving  the  other  half  and  the  wrist  quite 
bare  ;  but  the  other  had  burst  asunder  across 
the  palm,  and  she  now  held  it  towards  her  hus- 
band, with  a  look  of  mock  despair. 

"  Try  another  and  a  larger  pair,"  he  said, 
laughing. 

"  I  have  not  another  pair  in  the  house.  You 
know  I  never  want  white  gloves,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  send  to  Schultz  for  these,  after  I 
had  begun  to  dress  !  " 


B  >16all  at  tbe  Museum  Club.          159 

"  Oh,  I  can  mend  it  in  a  moment,"  cried  Cres- 
cenz,  bringing  a  needle  and  thread.  "  Only  keep 
it  on  your  hand — it  will  never  do  if  you  pull  it 
off  again." 

Hamilton  had  in  the  meantime  been  playing 
with  the  discarded  bracelet  ;  Hildegarde  at- 
tempted to  take  it  out  of  his  hand,  but  he  held  it 
nearer  the  light,  observing  in  a  low  voice,  "  This 
is  not  horse  hair.  It  cannot  be  your  father's  or 
your  sister's,  for  they  have  brown  hair  ;  nor  your 
cousin's  ;  nor " 

"  Give  me  my  bracelet,"  said  Hildegarde,  im- 
patiently. He  held  it  towards  her  with  both 
hands,  and  a  look  of  pretended  alarm.  She  half 
smiled,  and  extended  her  arm,  while  with  a 
degree  of  trepidation  which  he  in  vain  endeav- 
oured to  overcome,  he  placed  the  tongue  in  the 
serpent's  head  which  formed  the  clasp.  When 
he  looked  up  her  head  was  averted,  and  she  was 
jesting  with  her  father  about  her  chance  of  find- 
ing partners  or  being  left  sitting. 

"  Pray,  keep  one  waltz  or  galop  in  reserve 
for  me,"  cried  Hamilton.  "  I  shall  be  at  the 
Museum  between  ten  and  eleven  o'clock." 

Hildegarde  murmured  a  sort  of  assent,  but  the 
expression  of  her  countenance  denoted  anything 
but  satisfaction.  She  became  grave  and  thought- 
ful. It  was  impossible  not  to  perceive  the 
change,  and  with  ill-concealed  mortification 
Hamilton  turned  to  her  father  :  "  Your  daughter 
does  not  know,  perhaps,  that  I  have  learned  to 


160  abe  flnitials. 


waltz  since  I  came  here.  I  am  no  longer  a  bad 
dancer." 

"  Oh,  dear  !  I  always  thought  you  danced  ex- 
tremely well,"  said  Crescenz. 

"  I  may  depend  upon  your  keeping  a  waltz  free 
for  me  ;  if  Major  Stultz  will  permit  it." 

"  Oh,  yes ;  that  is,"  said  Crescenz,  correcting 
herself,  "  if  you  can  remember  your  engagement 
with  me  when  Lina-  Berger  is  present." 

"  Madame  Berger  has  no  influence  whatever 
upon  my  memory." 

"  No,  but  upon  your  heart." 

"  None  whatever.  She  is  very  pretty,  very 
amusing,  very  flattering,  everything  you  please 
but  lovable." 

"  Well,  if  she  only  heard  you  say  that !  "  began 
Crescenz. 

"  The  carriage  has  been  at  the  door  this  long 
time,"  cried  Madame  Rosenberg,  tying  a  large 
handkerchief  over  her  ears  and  pink  turban. 
"  Let  us  be  off." 

Crescenz  touched  her  sister's  hand,  and  whis- 
pered :  "  You  see,  dear,  I  was  right." 

Hildegarde  bent  her  head,  but  did  not  speak. 

Hamilton  heard,  saw,  but  only  partly  under- 
stood. Had  Hildegarde  been  jealous  ! 

The  ball  at  Court  was  not  in  the  least  less  bril- 
liant than  any  of  the  preceding,  but  Hamilton 
was  not  disposed  to  admire  the  rooms,  or  the 
fresco  paintings,  or  the  candelabra,  or  even  his 
own  form  in  the  long  glass,  placed  so  con- 


B  JBall  at  tbe  flbuseum  Club.          161 

veniently  at  the  door  of  one  of  the  reception- 
rooms.  Figures  in  blue  and  pink  crape  passed 
and  repassed  him  scarcely  observed,  so  com- 
pletely had  a  form  in  white,  with  a  wreath  of 
roses  in  her  hair,  taken  possession  of  his  imagina- 
tion. His  abstraction  attracted  even  the  notice 
of  royalty,  and  it  was  with  a  deep  blush  that 
Hamilton  stammered  some  excuse  when  asked 
why  he  did  not  dance  as  usual. 

At  ten  o'clock  he  withdrew,  bounded  down  the 
stairs  which  he  had  thought  so  tiresome  to 
mount  a  couple  of  hours  before,  found  his  car- 
riage waiting,  and  drove  to  the  Museum.  The 
contrast  was  great,  but  he  heeded  it  not ;  Hilde- 
garde  was  every  thing  to  him.  He  glanced 
quickly  round  the  room,  and  immediately  dis- 
covered the  object  of  his  search  walking  com- 
posedly towards  the  dancers  with  a  tall  officer  in 
the  Guards  ;  he  was  about  to  leave  the  room 
again  in  a  fit  of  uncontrollable  irritation,  when  he 
remembered  his  engagement  with  Crescenz.  The 
moment  she  saw  him,  she  spoke  a  few  words 
eagerly  to  Major  Stultz,  smiled,  and  then  walked 
a  step  or  two  towards  him.  "  I  knew  you  would 
come,"  she  said  with  evident  pleasure,  and 
showing  her  little  ball-book ;  "  see,  you  were 
written  for  two  dances,  that  I  might  be  quite 
sure  of  being  disengaged." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  you  are  very 
kind.  I  can  remain  but  one  hour,  and  as  your 
sister  seems  to  have  forgotten  her  engagement 


VOL.  II.— II 


162  abe  flnttials. 


with  me,  perhaps  you  will  give  me  the  second 
waltz  also  ? " 

"  Oh,  I  dare  not ;  Major  Stultz  will  never  con- 
sent. I  am  sure  I  wish  he  would  go  home,  he  is 
so  sleepy  already.  But,"  she  added  after  a 
pause,  "  I  am  quite  sure  that  Hildegarde  will 
dance  with  you." 

In  the  course  of  the  dance,  Hildegarde  and 
her  partner  came  close  beside  them.  Hamilton 
at  first  pretended  not  to  observe  it,  but  Crescenz 
naturally  spoke  to  her  sister. 

"  Mr.  Hamilton  fancies  you  will  not  dance 
with  him,  but  I  am  sure  he  is  mistaken  ;  he  says 
he  cannot  remain  more  than  an  hour,  so  you 
must  promise  him  the  next  waltz  or  galop, 
whichever  it  may  be." 

"If  he  really  wish  it,"  said  Hildegarde;  "but 
he  looks  so  very  seriously  English  to-night,  that 
if  I  were  to  propose  dancing  with  him,  I  am  sure 
he  will  say  no  !  " 

"  Try  me,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  or  rather  write 
my  name  in  your  book,  that  I  may  be  sure  you 
are  in  earnest." 

"  You  must  not  trust  to  my  memory,  for  I  have 
neither  ball-book  nor  tablets.  I  have  no  one," 
she  added,  looking  archly  toward  her  sister,  "  I 
have  no  one  to  supply  me  with  ball-books  and 
bouquets,"  and  she  bent  her  head  over  her 
sister's  hand,  which  could  scarcely  clasp  the 
geraniums,  heliotropes,  and  China  roses  with 
which  it  was  filled. 


a  JSall  at  tbe  /buseum  Club.          163 

A  moment  after,  she  had  joined  the  dancers, 
and  Hamilton  stood  thoughtfully  beside  his 
partner. 

"  Do  you  not  admire  my  bouquet  ? "  she  asked, 
holding  it  coquettishly  towards  him. 

"  Exceedingly ;  for  the  time  of  year  it  is 
beautiful." 

"  Major  Stultz  waited  at  the  door  to  give  it  to 
me.  It  was  an  attention  I  never  expected  from 
him." 

"Why  not?"  asked  Hamilton,  absently. 

"  Oh,  because  he  was  so  many  years  a  soldier 
and  in  the  wars,  and  in  Russia,  and  all  that.  I 
thought  it  was  only  young — a — a — persons — with 
whom  one  danced — who  gave  bouquets." 

"  Very  true,"  said  Hamilton,  laughing,  "  and  it 
is  disgracefully  negligent  of  young — a — persons 
to  forget  such  things  sometimes." 

"  I  assure  you,"  stammered  Crescenz,  "  I  did 
not  mean — I  did  not  think " 

"  I  know  you  did  not,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  He  knows  you  never  think,  my  dear,"  said 
Madame  Berger,  who  had  overheard  the  last 
words  when  taking  the  place  behind  them. 

"  She  never  thinks  or  says  anything  unkind," 
said  Hamilton,  warmly. 

Madame  Berger  looked  up  saucily,  and  then 
turned  to  her  partner,  a  gay  student,  to  listen  to 
some  nonsense  about  her  long  blonde  ringlets. 

"  Lina  is  angry  that  you  have  not  asked  her  to 
dance,"  said  Crescenz,  as  she  returned  to  join 


164  Gbe  IFnitiate. 


her  mother.  "  Suppose  you  were  to  waltz  with 
her  next  time  ;  I  know  Hildegarde  will  not  be  in 
the  least  offended." 

Hamilton  shook  his  head.  "  I  am  not  so  much 
afraid  of  giving  offence  as  you  are  ;  besides,  you 
may  be  mistaken." 

"  No,"  said  Crescenz,  "  I  am  sure  I  am  right, 
for  I  remember  her  saying  she  would  keep  a 
waltz  for  you,  and  you  said  you  could  not  come 
at  all.  Oh,  I  remember  it,  for  I  was  so  sorry 
when  you  said  so,  that  I  did  not  care  at  all  for 
rhe  ball,  or  my  new  dress,  or " 

Hamilton  unconsciously  pressed  Crescenz's 
hands,  her  heightened  colour  immediately  repri- 
manded him  for  his  imprudence,  and  he  turned 
to  Madame  Rosenberg,  and  asked  her  how  she 
liked  playing  chaperone  ? 

"  Better  a  great  deal  than  I  expected,"  she 
answered,  laughing ;  and  then  lowering  her 
voice,  she  added,  "  our  girls  are  certainly  very 
pretty ;  you  have  no  idea  how  civil  all  the  men 
are  to  me  on  their  account.  Franz  is  enjoying 
a  sort  of  triumph  to-night,  but  the  Major  is  not 
quite  satisfied  ;  he  says  the  young  officers  have 
been  talking  nonsense  to  Crescenz,  for  she  has 
been  blushing  every  moment.  Now,  I  have  told 
him  a  hundred  times  it  is  from  the  heat  of  the 
room  and  the  exertion  of  dancing.  It  would  be 
better  if  he  would  go  down  to  the  club-room  and 
smoke  his  pipe  ;  he  cannot  expect  the  child  to 
sit  beside  him  all  the  evening  as  she  does  at 


B  asall  at  tbc  Museum  Club.         165 

home.  She  has  very  properly  done  her  duty, 
and  already  danced  twice  with  him,  and  more  he 
cannot  require.  He  has  no  sort  of  tact,  the 
Major.  Fancy  his  wanting  her  to  fix  her  wedding- 
day  just  now,  when  she  is  thinking  of  anything 
in  the  world  but  her  marriage.  I  never  knew 
anything  in  the  world  so  injudicious." 

Poor  Crescenz  had  been  condemned  to  a  place 
between  her  mother  and  Major  Stultz.  Hilde- 
garde  had  emancipated  herself  completely  ;  she 
hung  on  her  proud  father's  arm,  walked  about 
the  rooms,  and  talked  unrestrainedly.  Hamil- 
ton had  to  seek  her  when  the  music  again  com- 
menced ;  she  left  her  father  directly,  and  walked 
towards  the  dancing-room,  but  scarcely  had  she 
entered  it  when  Count  Raimund  approached, 
exclaiming,  "  Where  are  you  going,  Hildegarde  ? 
do  not  forget  that  this  galop  is  mine." 

"  No,  Oscar,  it  was  the  second  that  I  promised 
you." 

"  That  cannot  be,  Hildegarde,  for  I  am  en- 
gaged to  dance  it  with  a — Marie.  I  believe — 
I  am  quite  certain — you  promised  me  this  one." 

"  And  I  am  quite  sure,  Oscar,  that  you  are 
mistaken.  Quite  sure  !  "  began  Hildegarde,  with 
her  usual  decision  of  manner,  but  the  angry  ex- 
pression of  her  cousin's  countenance  made  her 
hesitate.  "  Perhaps,  however,"  she  added,  look- 
ing from  one  to  the  other,  "  perhaps,  as  Mr. 
Hamilton  is  an  Englishman,  and  does  not  care 
about  dancing,  he  will  be  rather  pleased  than 


166  tTbe  Initials. 


otherwise  in  being  released  from  what  he  proba- 
bly considered  a  duty  dance." 

"  By  no  means,"  said  Hamilton,  firmly  holding 
the  hand  which  she  endeavoured  to  withdraw, 
"  I  am  not  so  indifferent  as  you  seem  to  imagine. 
You  have  promised  to  dance  with  me,  and  I  am 
not  disposed  to  release  you  from  your  engage- 
ment." 

"  Nor  I,  either,"  said  Count  Raimund,  while 
the  blood  mounted  to  his  temples,  and  was  even 
visible  under  the  roots  of  his  fair  hair. 

"  You  think,  perhaps,  I  ought  to  feel  flattered," 
said  Hildegarde,  scornfully,  "  but  I  do  not — on 
the  contrary  I  think  you  both,  I  mean  to  say — 
Oscar  extremely  disagreeable.  I  shall  not  dance 
with  either  of  you,"  she  added,  seating  herself  on 
a  bench,  and  beginning  to  tap  her  foot  impa- 
tiently on  the  floor.  The  two  young  men  placed 
themselves  on  either  side  of  her. 

"  I  hope,"  she  said,  turning  to  Count  Rai- 
mund, "  I  hope  you  are  satisfied,  now  that  you 
have  deprived  me  of  the  pleasure  of  dancing  a 
galop,  to  which  I  have  been  looking  forward 
for  the  last  half  hour  ? " 

"  My  satisfaction  depends  entirely  on  who  the 
person  may  be  with  whom  you  anticipated  so 
much  pleasure  in  dancing." 

"  You  know  perfectly  well  that  I  was  not  en- 
gaged to  you,  and  did  not  think  of  you." 

Count  Raimund  played  with  the  hilt  of  his 
sword,  which  he  had  laid  on  the  form  beside  him. 


a  SSall  at  tbc  Museum  Club.          167 

"  Oscar,"  continued  Hildegarde,  after  a  pause, 
in  a  low  voice,  "  don't  be  so  unjust,  so  tyrannical 
as  to  deprive  me  of  my  galop.  Choose  some- 
body else.  See,  there  is  Marie  still  disengaged 
— go  quickly,  before  anyone  else  can " 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Raimund,  interrupting 
her  ;  "  you  are  very  kind,  but  I  have  no  inclina- 
tion whatever  that  way.  Marie  may  be  very 
good  for  household  purposes,  but  I  must  say  I 
rejoice  in  the  idea  that  our  marriage  will  free  me 
from  these  ball-room  duties  towards  a  person  I 
have  scarcely  learned  to  tolerate.  In  fact,  I  be- 
lieve I  detest  her,  so  has  she  been  forced  upon 
me  !  " 

"  Oscar,  Oscar — take  care  !  Do  not  speak  so 
loud.  What  would  people  think  of  you,  were 
you  to  be  heard  ?  Someone  may  tell  Marie, 
and  make  her  repent  her  disinterested  conduct 
towards  you — she  does  not  deserve  to  be  made 
unhappy,  especially  by  you  !  " 

"What  did  you  say,  sir?"  cried  Raimund, 
speaking  angrily,  across  Hildegarde  to  Hamilton. 

"  I  have  not  had  time  to  say  anything,"  he 
replied,  laughing. 

"But  you  looked  as  if  you  agreed  with  my 
cousin  ? " 

"  My  looks  are  expressive,  it  seems,"  said  Ham- 
ilton, coolly. 

"  Perhaps  you  intend  to  inform  my  betrothed 
of  what  I  have  just  now  said  ?  "  cried  Raimund, 
still  more  angrily. 


1fnitial0. 


"  My  acquaintance  with  her  is  of  too  recent  a 
date  to  admit  of  my  doing  so." 

"  Do  you  mean  deliberately  to  insult  me  ? " 
asked  Raimund,  in  a  voice  of  suppressed  rage. 

"No,  Oscar,"  cried  Hildegarde,  laying  her 
hand  hastily  on  his  arm.  "  It  is  you  who  are 
endeavouring  to  commence  a  quarrel  with  Mr. 
Hamilton.  You  feel  that  you  are  in  the  wrong, 
and  that  you  ought  not  to  have  made  such  a 
remark  in  public  of  a  person  to  whom  you  are  to 
be  married  in  less  than  a  week." 

"  You  may  say  what  you  please  to  me,  Hilde- 
garde, but  neither  Mr.  Hamilton  nor  anyone 
else  shall  dare  by  word  or  look  to  imply " 

Hamilton  turned  away  with  a  smile  of  un- 
equivocal contempt. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir  ? "  cried  Raimund, 
starting  from  his  seat,  and  facing  him  while  he 
folded  his  arms. 

"  I  mean  that  this  is  no  place  for  such  words — 
still  less  for  such  gestures,"  replied  Hamilton, 
glancing  round  him.  The  loudness  of  the  music, 
however,  had  prevented  them  from  being  heard. 

"  Oscar,"  cried  Hildegarde,  vehemently,  "  sit 
down  beside  me.  Listen  to  me — you  must  listen 
to  me.  You  are  altogether  in  the  wrong — you 
are  rude  and  irritating,  and  ought  to  be  ashamed 
of  yourself.  Do  not  try  Mr.  Hamilton's  patience 
further." 

"  I  have  no  intention  of  doing  so,"  said  Rai- 
mund, biting  his  lip,  and  frowning  fearfully. 


B  Ball  at  tbe  /iRuseum  Club.          169 

Hildegarde  looked  anxiously,  first  on  her 
cousin  and  then  at  Hamilton,  to  whom  she  said 
in  a  low  voice  :  "  I  don't  know  which  is  most  to 
be  feared,  your  coolness — or  Oscar's  ungovern- 
able temper  !  But  this  I  have  determined,  that 
neither  shall  stir  from  this  place  until  a  recon- 
ciliation has  taken  place.  You,  Oscar,  are  bound 
to  apologise  for  your  unprovoked  rudeness, 
and " 

"  Ha,  ha  !  "  laughed  Raimund.  "  You  are  a 
most  excellent  mediatrix,  my  charming  cousin, 
but  believe  me,  explanations  are  better  avoided. 
See,  we  have  already  forgotten  the  whole  affair." 

Hildegarde  looked  uneasily  towards  Hamil- 
ton, he  appeared  to  be  intently  watching  the 
dancers  as  they  flew  past  him. 

"  It  is  useless  your  trying  to  deceive  me,"  she 
began,  once  more  turning  to  Raimund  ;  but  he 
immediately  interrupted  her  by  saying,  "  Pray,  is 
all  this  unnecessary  anxiety  on  my  account,  or — 
on  his  ? " 

"  My  anxiety  is  divided.  Surely,"  she  con- 
tinued, almost  in  a  whisper,  "  you  will  not  be  so 
foolish  as  to  commence  a  quarrel  in  this  un- 
. reasonable  manner  ?  What  will  Marie  and  her 
mother  think,  should  they  hear  of  it  ?  What 
right  had  you  to  ask  for  an  explanation  of  Mr. 
Hamilton's  looks  ?  You  are  seeking  a  quarrel, 
and  do  you  think  by  acting  in  this  manner  you 
are  likely  to  increase  my  regard  for  you  ?  Oh, 
Oscar  !  have  you  forgotten  what  you  said  about 


i?o  tlbe  Initials. 


a  double  crime "  The  music  played  loudly, 

and  Hildegarde  bent  towards  her  cousin,  and 
continued  to  speak  for  some  time.  Raimund's 
countenance  cleared  by  degrees,  he  raised  his 
eyes  to  her  face  with  an  expression  of  undisguised 
admiration  and  love,  and  then  whispered  an 
answer,  which  made  her  blush  and  turn  away. 

"You  know  your  influence  with  me  is  un- 
bounded. On  this  condition  I  will  do  or  say 
whatever  you  please,"  he  added,  endeavouring 
to  catch  her  eye. 

"  It  is  ungenerous  of  you  to  take  advantage  of 
my  fears,"  said  Hildegarde,  rising. 

Hamilton  asked  her  if  she  wished  to  return  to 
her  father  ;  she  seemed  scarcely  to  hear  him,  ap- 
pearing lost  in  thought  for  some  moments.  She 
again  consulted  the  countenance  of  her  two 
companions,  again  became  anxious,  and  finally 
turning  to  Raimund,  said,  with  some  embar- 
rassment, "After  all,  it  is  not  worth  talking  so 
much  about — I  accept  the  condition — perform 
your  promise." 

"  Time  and  place  to  be  chosen  by  me  ?  "  said 
Raimund,  loud  and  eagerly. 

"  Do  not  make  any  more  conditions,"  cried 
Hildegarde,  impatiently,  "but  perform  your 
promise  at  once." 

"  This  must  be  understood,"  said  Raimund, 
"or  else " 

Hamilton  felt  himself  growing  very  angry  ;  he 
turned  to  leave  them,  when  Count  Raimund 


SSall  at  tbe  flbuseum  Club. 


called  him  back  :  "  Mr.  Hamilton,  a  moment,  if 
you  please.  Hildegarde  has  convinced  me  that 
I  have  been  altogether  in  the  wrong  just  now.  If 
I  have  offended  you,  I  am  sorry  for  it ;  I  hope 
you  do  not  expect  me  to  say  more  !  " 

"I  did  not  expect  you  to  say  so  much,"  re- 
plied Hamilton,  coldly. 

A  sudden  flush  once  more  overspread  Rai- 
mund's  face,  an  internal  struggle  seemed  to  take 
place,  but  after  a  glance  towards  Hildegarde,  he 
said  calmly,  "  If  I  did  not  feel  that  I  had  been 
the  aggressor,  not  even  the  offered  bribe  could 
have  induced  me  to  apologise." 

"Bribe  —  offered!"  exclaimed  Hildegarde, 
almost  indignantly. 

"  No,  not  offered.  Favour  conceded,  if  you 
like  it  better — we  will  not  dispute  about  words. 
Mr.  Hamilton,  my  cousin  is  free,  and  can  dance 
when  she  pleases." 

"  I  imagine  she  could  have  done  so  before,  had 
she  wished  it,"  said  Hamilton,  haughtily. 

Raimund  walked  away  as  if  he  had  not  heard 
him,  and  buckled  on  his  sword  with  an  air  of 
perfect  satisfaction. 

Hamilton  stood  by  Hildegarde  as  if  he  were 
turned  to  stone.  The  words  which  had  been  so 
mysteriously  spoken  seemed  to  have  completely 
petrified  him.  Hildegarde,  too,  stood  immovable 
for  a  minute,  and  then  turned  as  if  to  leave  him. 

"  Do  you  not  wish  to  dance  ? "  asked  Hamil- 
ton, in  a  constrained  voice. 


•ffntttals. 


"  No — I  mean  yes — yes,  of  course,"  she  re- 
plied, moving  mechanically  towards  the  dancers. 

Hamilton's  feelings  at  this  moment  would  be 
difficult  to  define.  As  he  put  his  arm  round  her 
slight  figure,  intense  hatred  was  perhaps,  for  the 
instant,  predominant — he  was  in  such  a  state  of 
angry  excitement  that  he  had  gone  quite  round 
the  room  before  he  perceived  that  he  was 
actually  carrying  Hildegarde,  who  was  entreating 
him  to  stop. 

"Get  me  a  glass  of  water,"  she  said,  moving 
unsteadily  towards  the  refreshment-room,  and 
sinking  on  a  chair  behind  the  door.  She  had 
become  deadly  pale,  and  was  evidently  suffering, 
but  seemed  determined  to  conquer  the  unusual 
weakness  which  threatened  to  overcome  her. 

When  Hamilton  again  stood  by  her,  he  no  longer 
felt  angry  ;  bending  towards  her  he  whispered, 
"  If  you  repent  any  hasty  promise  which  you  may 
have  made  to  your  cousin,  I  shall  be  happy  to  be 
the  bearer  of  any  message  or  explanation." 

"  Repent !  "  murmured  Hildegarde,  "  no  ;  I 
have  promised,  and  I  don't  repent  ;  but  you — 
you  must  not  speak  any  more  this  evening  to 
Oscar  ;  he  has  apologised  for  his  rudeness,  and 
I  know  you  are  too  generous  ever  to  refer  to  the 
subject  again." 

"  But  he  spoke  of  some  bribe — some  favour," 
began  Hamilton. 

"That  is  my  affair,  and  not  yours,"  replied 
Hildegarde,  rising  as  the  dancers  began  to  pour 


Dag  of  ffree&om.  173 


into  the  room.  "  And  now  take  me  to  my  father. 
After  all,"  she  added,  forcing  a  smile,  "  I  believe 
I  have  wasted  a  great  deal  of  genuine  alarm  on 
a  pair  of  very  worthless  young  men." 

"  So  it  was  not  repentance  about  this  promised 
favour,  but  anxiety  about  us,  which  has  nearly 
caused  you  to  faint  ?  " 

"  Just  so  —  my  fears  perhaps  magnified  the 
danger  —  but  there  was  danger,  more  than  you  were 
aware  of.  Avoid  my  cousin,"  she  added,  earnestly, 
"  he  is  reckless  now,  but  I  trust  better  times  are 
in  store  for  him."  Though  still  fearfully  pale, 
she  walked  steadily  towards  the  end  of  the  room 
where  her  father  and  mother  were  standing. 

Raimund  saw  Hamilton  leaving  the  room  a 
few  minutes  afterwards,  with  hasty  steps  and  a 
disturbed  countenance.  He  looked  after  him, 
and  observed,  with  a  sarcastic  smile,  to  an 
acquaintance  who  was  near  him.  "  I  have  spoiled 
that  Englishman's  supper  ;  he  is  not  likely  to 
enjoy  his/a/i^  de  feis  gras  or  champagne  under 
the  orange-trees  at  Court  to-night  !  " 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A    DAY    OF    FREEDOM. 

OOME  days  passed  over  remarkably  tranquilly. 
^  Crescenz's  marriage  was  to  take  place  in  a 
fortnight,  and  she  and  Hildegarde  had  promised 
to  be  bridesmaids  to  Marie  de  Hoffmann  the 


174  Gbe  flnttials. 


beginning  of  the  ensuing  week.  Hildegarde 
made  no  further  effort  to  warn  Hamilton  about 
her  cousin  ;  perhaps  she  now  deemed  it  un- 
necessary, as  the  young  men  openly  showed  their 
mutual  antipathy,  and  avoided  even  the  most 
formal  intercourse. 

One  fine  afternoon,  when  Hamilton  was  about 
to  drive  out  in  his  sledge,  he  perceived  Crescenz 
hovering  about  him  mysteriously.  Major  Stultz, 
who  was  in  the  room,  seemed  to  embarrass  her, 
but  at  length  she  murmured,  in  French,  "  I  have 
something  to  say  to  you." 

"  I  have  been  aware  of  it  for  the  last  half  hour, 
and  have  remained  here  on  purpose  to  hear  it," 
said  Hamilton. 

"  You  always  forget  that  Mr.  Hamilton  speaks 
German  perfectly  well,  Crescenz,"  observed 
Major  Stultz.  "  I  take  it  for  granted  you  have 
no  secret  from  me  !  " 

"  Oh,  dear,  no,"  said  Crescenz,  with  a  slight 
laugh,  "  I  always  speak  French  when  I  am  not 
thinking  of  anything  in  particular.  You  know 
for  many  years  I  never  spoke  any  other  lan- 
guage "  ;  and  while  she  spoke,  she  carelessly 
upset  her  work-basket,  the  contents  of  which 
rolled  in  all  directions  on  the  painted  floor. 

"  Dear  me  !  How  awkward  I  am  !  "  she  ex- 
claimed, half  laughing,  while  Major  Stultz,  with 
evident  difficulty,  began  to  pick  up  the  dispersed 
articles.  M  My  scarlet  wool  is  behind  the  sofa  ; 
Mr.  Hamilton,  will  you  be  so  kind " 


H  2>ag  of  ffreefcom.  175 

Hamilton  moved  the  sofa.  There  was  no  scarlet 
wool,  but  a  slip  of  paper  dropped  from  Crescenz's 
hand  ;  he  immediately  took  possession  of  it,  and 
her  eyes  sparkled  with  pleasure.  "  Thank  you, 
thank  you,  I  believe  I  have  everything  now.  Oh, 
by-the-by,  Mr.  Hamilton,  if  you  have  time,  I  wish 
you  would  call  on  Lina  Berger,  and  ask  her  why 
she  has  not  been  here  since  the  ball  ? " 

Hamilton  hesitated. 

"  Tell  her  my  wedding-day  is  fixed,  and  I  want 
to  consult  her  about  my  veil.  You  will  go  to  her, 
I  hope  ? " 

"  If — you — wish  it — but " 

11  No  buts,  I  hate  buts,"  said  Crescenz,  laugh- 
ing, and  then  making  an  inexplicable  grimace  to 
him  apart. 

When  out  of  the  room,  he  inspected  the  slip  of 
paper,  on  which  was  written  in  French  : 

"You  have 'offended  Lina  Berger  by  not  danc- 
ing with  her.  Make  up  your  quarrel  as  fast 
as  you  can,  or  we  shall  lose  all  chance  of 
going  to  the  masquerade." 

"  I  had  forgotten  all  about  the  masquerade," 
thought  Hamilton,  "and  must  make  my  peace 
directly  with  the  little  person.  She  shall  drive 
out  with  me  this  very  day  to  arrange  matters. 
Fortunately,  she  has  said  at  least  half  a  dozen 
times  that  she  likes  sledging — I  ought  to  have 
taken  the  hint  long  ago " 

What  his  excuses  were  is  not  recorded — they 
did  not  seem  to  interest  him  particularly,  as  only 


Cbe  flnittals. 


the  result  is  known.  Madame  Berger  drove  out 
in  his  sledge,  the  party  was  arranged,  and  the 
next  morning,  at  breakfast,  a  note  was  brought 
to  Madame  Rosenberg,  offering  Dr.  Berger's  car- 
riage and  horses  for  the  day  of  the  masquerade. 

"  How  good-natured  of  Lina  to  remember  that 
I  wished  to  see  my  father  and  introduce  the 
Major  to  him,"  she  exclaimed,  handing  the  neatly- 
written  note  to  her  husband  ;  "  I  would  rather 
it  had  been  any  other  day  than  Monday,  as  you 
know  Mademoiselle  de  Hoffmann's  marriage  is 
to  take  place  on  Tuesday,  and  it  will  be  dis- 
agreeable returning  home  so  early  the  next  day  ; 
however,  that  cannot  be  avoided." 

"  Easily  enough,  I  should  think,"  observed  Mr. 
Rosenberg,  quietly  ;  "  Mr.  Hamilton  has  often 
proposed  lending  us  his  horses  and  all  days  are 
alike  to  him,  I  know." 

Before  Hamilton  could  answer,  Madame 
Rosenberg  exclaimed,  "  His  horses  ?  Not  for 
any  consideration  in  the  world  !  Besides,  his 
sledge  is  only  for  two  persons  and  a  servant,  and 
I  wish  to  take  the  boys  and  the  Major  with  us." 

"  In  that  case,  I  think  we  had  better  take  a  job 
carriage  for  a  day  and  a  half." 

"  No  use  in  paying  for  what  we  can  have  for 
nothing,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg  ;  "  so  if  you 
have  no  objection,  I  shall  accept  the  offer." 

"  As  you  please,"  said  her  husband  ;  "  A  visit 
to  the  iron- works  is  not  exactly  what  I  enjoy 
most  in  the  world." 


Dag  of  ffreeOom.  177 


"  Crescenz,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg,  taking 
no  notice  of  this  remark,  "Crescenz,  just  put 
on  your  bonnet,  and  slip  over  to  old  Madame 
Lustig's  ;  ask  her  if  she  can  take  charge  of  you 
and  Hildegarde  on  Monday  ;  but  she  must  spend 
the  whole  day  here,  and  promise  to  sleep  in 
the  nursery." 

Crescenz  left  the  room,  not  without  slightly 
glancing  towards  Hamilton,  and  primly  pressing 
her  lips  together  to  repress  a  smile. 

"  I  don't  like  Madame  Lustig,"  said  Hilde- 
garde, abruptly. 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  Hamilton. 

"  Because  she  so  evidently  tries  to  please  every- 
body." 

"  Better  than  evidently  trying  to  please  no 
one,"  said  her  mother,  sharply.  "  However, 
whether  you  like  her  or  not,  if  she  take  charge 
of  you  and  Crescenz  on  Monday,  I  expect  you 
will  do  whatever  she  desires,  and  consider  her  as 
in  my  place." 

Hildegarde  looked  up  as  if  about  to  remon- 
strate, caught  her  father's  eyes,  and  then  bent 
over  her  coffee-cup  without  speaking. 

Madame  Lustig  made  no  difficulties  and  many 
promises.  She  arrived  the  next  morning,  when 
they  were  all  breakfasting  together,  at  an  un- 
usually early  hour,  listened  patiently  to  Madame 
Rosenberg's  directions  about  locking  the  house- 
door,  and  fastening  the  windows,  and  examining 
the  stoves,  and  then  accompanied  them  to  the 

VOL.  H.—  12 


178  Gbe  flntttals. 


carriage  with  Hamilton,  Hildegarde,  and  Cres- 
cenz.  Major  Stultz  seemed  very  much  inclined 
to  remain  behind,  but  Crescenz  whispered  rather 
loudly,  "  that  mamma  had  been  so  kind  about 
her  trousseau,  that  he  ought  to  visit  grandpapa." 

"  What  an  artful  little  animal  it  is,  after  all  !  " 

thought  Hamilton,  "  and  how  different  from " 

He  looked  towards  Hildegarde,  who,  all  uncon- 
scious of  their  plans,  after  having  twisted  a  black 
silk  scarf  round  her  father's  neck,  stood  rubbing 
her  hands,  and  slightly  shivering  in  the  cold 
morning  air. 

"Adieu,  adieu,"  was  repeated  in  every  possible 
tone,  while  the  carriage  drove  off.  A  moment 
afterwards,  Crescenz  was  scampering  up  the 
stairs,  dragging  Madame  Lustig  after  her ;  and 
when  Hamilton  and  Hildegarde,  who  followed 
more  leisurely,  reached  the  door,  they  were 
obliged  to  remain  there,  for  Crescenz,  dancing  a 
galop  with  Madame  Lustig,  was  now  forcing 
her  backwards  the  whole  length  of  the  passage 
at  a  tremendous  pace,  the  jolly  old  woman  keep- 
ing the  step,  and  springing  with  all  her  might  for 
fear  of  falling.  Hamilton  and  Hildegarde  looked 
on,  laughing. 

At  length  they  stopped  for  want  of  breath. 
"  Well — what — shall  we — do  first  ?  "  said  Cres- 
cenz, twisting  up  her  hair,  which  had  fallen  on 
her  shoulders. 

"  Do  !  "  panted  Madame  Lustig,  as  she  leaned 
against  the  wall.  "  You  have  nearly — killed  me 


of  jfree&om.  179 


—  this  is  not  the  way  to  make  me  able  to  go  to 
the  masqu  -  " 

In  a  moment,  Crescenz's  apron  was  over  her 
head,  and  a  new  struggle  began. 

"  I  asked  you  what  we  should  do  first  ?  "  cried 
Crescenz,  laughing,  "  suppose  —  suppose  we  make 
ice-cream  ?  Mamma  has  left  me  the  keys,  and 
allowed  .  me  to  take  whatever  I  like  from  the 
store-room.  You  have  a  good  receipt,  I  am  sure  ; 
let  us  make  the  cream,  and  Mr.  Hamilton  and 
Hildegarde  can  turn  it  round  in  the  ice-pail  !  " 

"  Shall  we  not  first  arrange  with  Walburg  about 
the  dinner  ?  " 

"  Oh,  dinner  !  how  very  disagreeable  to  be 
obliged  to  eat  dinner  !  Cannot  we  for  once,  just 
by  way  of  a  joke,"  she  said  coaxingly,  "  have 
something  instead  of  dinner  ?  " 

"  Soup,  boiled  beef,  and  steam  noodles  are, 
however,  not  to  be  despised  ;  and  that  is  what 
your  mother  ordered,"  said  Madame  Lustig  ; 
"besides,  on  Mr.  Hamilton's  account,  you 
ought  -  " 

"  Oh,  I  have  no  objection  to  dining  on  ice- 
cream," said  Hamilton,  laughing. 

"You  see  !  "  said  Crescenz,  "  Mr.  Hamilton  is 
so  —  so  -  You  see  he  will  do  whatever  we 
wish.  Let  us  make  some  cakes  out  of  the 
cookery-book,  and  then  we  can  all  be  merry 
together  in  the  kitchen  !  " 

A  sort  of  compromise  was  made.  The  soup 
and  boiled  beef  were  allowed,  but  the  ice-cream 


i8o  Gbe  flnitials. 


and  several  kinds  of  cakes  were  to  be  forthwith 
fabricated.  Madame  Lustig  was,  like  most  Ger- 
mans in  her  station  in  life,  an  excellent  cook ; 
she  was  also  a  good-humoured,  thoughtless  per- 
son, and  soon  became  quite  as  unrestrained  as 
her  young  companions.  Her  cap  and  false  curls 
were  laid  aside,  her  sleeves  tucked  up,  a  capa- 
cious white  apron  bound  over  her  black  silk 
dress,  and  she  was  immediately  employed  in 
beating  up  eggs  and  pounding  sugar.  Hamilton 
amused  himself  singing  aloud  the  cookery-book 
in  recitative,  until,  in  the  course  of  time,  he  was 
duly  established  with  Hildegarde  near  a  window 
in  the  corridor,  a  large  bucket  of  ice  between 
them,  in  which  was  placed  the  pail  containing 
the  cream.  They  turned  it  round  alternately, 
and  Crescenz  occasionally  inspected  the  process, 
dancing  with  delight  as  it  began  to  freeze. 

"  Oh,  dear !  how  nice  !  I  hope  it  will  not 
melt  before  Lina  Berger  comes.  Is  this  window 
cool  enough?" 

"  Cool !  "  said  Hildegarde,  laughing  ;  "  try  it 
for  a  few  minutes,  and  you  will  say  cold,  I 
think." 

"  Could  you  not  spare  Mr.  Hamilton  for  a  lit- 
tle while,  Hildegarde  ?  We  want  him  to  pound 
sugar  ;  our  arms  positively  ache,  and  Walburg  is 
not  yet  come  back  from  market." 

Hildegarde  made  no  objection,  and  Hamilton 
was  conducted  back  to  the  kitchen,  from  whence, 
immediately,  repeated  bursts  of  laughter  issued. 


2>a£  of  ffreeoom.  181 


The  arrival  of  Madame  Berger  seemed  to  in- 
crease the  noise  ;  she  closed  the  kitchen-door, 
but  Hildegarde  distinctly  heard  the  words  : 
"Congratulate  —  freedom  for  one  day  at  least  — 
make  good  use  —  amusement  —  Hildegarde  — 
hush."  A  short  whispering  ensued,  and  at 
length  Madame  Lustig  made  her  appearance, 
inspected  the  ice-cream,  and  proposed  putting  it 
outside  the  window.  "  There  is  no  use  in  your 
tormenting  yourself  longer,  my  dear,"  she  said, 
smiling  ;  "  we  have  something  else  to  interest  us  ; 
come,  we  must  hold  a  consultation." 

"  About  what  ?  "  asked   Hildegarde. 

"  About  a  masquerade  ;  were  you  ever  at 
one  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  at  school  we  had  one  almost  every 
year  ;  I  was  always  ordered  to  be  a  Greek  or  a 
Circassian." 

"  Ah,  that  was  children's  play  among  our- 
selves ;  but  I  mean  a  real  masquerade  !  " 

"You  mean  the  public  masquerades  —  at  the 
theatre,  perhaps  ?  " 

"  Just  so  ;  should  you  like  to  go  to  one  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  I  should,  of  all  things  !  "  cried 
Hildegarde,  eagerly.  "  When  is  it  ?  " 

"  To-night." 

Her  countenance  fell.  "  Oh,  if  we  had  only 
known  it  sooner.  If  we  had  only  been  able  to 
ask  papa  !  " 

"  There  !  I  told  you,"  cried  Madame  Berger, 
coming  out  of  the  kitchen,  followed  by  the  others, 


"  I  knew  she  would  make  all  sort  of  difficulties, 
and  spoil  Crescenz's  pleasure  !  " 

"  I  am  sure,"  said  Madame  Lustig,  "  neither 
your  father  or  mother  would  have  any  objection  ; 
when  I  go  with  you,  and  Madame  Berger,  and 
Mr.  Hamilton." 

"  It  is  true  mamma  said  I  was  to  do  whatever 

you  desired  me "  began  Hildegarde,  with 

some  hesitation. 

"  Oh,  I  will  command  your  attendance,  if  that 
will  be  any  relief  to  your  conscience,"  cried 
Madame  Lustig,  with  a  loud  laugh. 

Hildegarde  coloured  deeply,  and  looked  tow- 
ards Hamilton  ;  he  was  eating  almonds  and  rai- 
sins from  a  plate,  which  Madame  Berger  held 
towards  him.  "  Let  us  talk  about  our  masks, 
and  not  about  our  consciences,"  cried  the 
latter.  "  I  must  go  home  to  dinner,  or  the  Doc- 
tor will  be  impatient.  We  are  to  be  black  bats  ; 
black  silk  dresses  ;  black  dominoes,  with  hanging 
sleeves,  and  hoods  ;  masks  half  black,  and  a  knot 
of  white  ribbon  under  the  chin,  that  we  may 
know  each  other.  How  many  dominoes  shall  I 
order  ?  " 

"  For  us  all,  Lina,  for  us  all !  "  cried  Crescenz, 
eagerly. 

"We  may  as  well  dress  at  your  house,"  cried 
Madame  Lustig.  It  is  not  necessary  that  Wai- 
burg  should  know  anything  about  the  matter. 
The  Doctor  will  have  gone  out  before  seven." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  may  come  at  half-past  six  ;  I 


2>ag  of  ffreebom.  183 


must  have  time  to  dress  Mr.  Hamilton  as  well  as 
myself,  you  know  !  Adieu,  au  revoir" 

Immediately  after  dinner,  Hildegarde  put  on 
a  black  dress,  and  came  to  the  drawing-room 
where  Hamilton  was  sitting,  or  rather  reclining, 
on  the  sofa,  reading  ;  she  leaned  slightly  over 
him,  and  almost  in  a  whisper  asked  if  he  were 
disposed  to  give  her  advice,  should  she  request  it. 

"  I  don't  know,"  answered  Hamilton,  looking 
up  with  a  smile  ;  "  I  have  been  so  long  dismissed 
from  the  office  of  preceptor,  that  I  have  quite 
got  out  of  the  habit  of  giving  advice." 

"  Forget  that  you  have  been  preceptor,  and 
take  the  name  of  friend,"  said  Hildegarde  ;  "  we 
shall  get  on  better,  I  think." 

"  I  like  the  proposition,"  cried  Hamilton, 
quickly  rising  from  his  recumbent  position,  "  our 
ages  are  suitable.  Let  us,"  he  added,  laughing, 
"  let  us  now  swear  an  eternal  friendship." 

"  Agreed,"  said  Hildegarde,  accepting  his 
offered  hand.  "  And  now,  tell  me,  shall  I  go  to 
this  masquerade  or  not  ?  " 

"  I  thought  you  had  already  decided  !  " 

"  Not  quite.  I  wish  very  much  to  go,  that  is 
the  simple  truth  ;  but  I  fear,  that  under  the 
name  of  obedience  to  Madame  Lustig  I  am  try- 
ing to  persuade  myself,  that  I  am  following  my 
mother's  injunctions  ;  while,  in  fact,  I  am  only 
seeking  an  excuse  to  do  what  I  wish.  Do  you 
understand  me  ?  " 

"  Perfectly." 


184  Ube  Initials. 


"And  you  think,  perhaps,  I  ought  not  to 
go?" 

"  I  think — indeed  I  am  sure,  that  I  can  give 
you  no  advice  on  the  subject.  I  am  too  much 
interested  in  your  decision,  to  be  a  'righteous 
judge.' " 

"  How  are  you  interested  ?  " 

"  Simply  thus  ;  if  you  do  not  go,  the  whole 
party  is  spoiled  for  me." 

Hildegarde  was  silent  for  more  than  a  minute. 
She  did  not  disclaim  ;  she  knew  he  had  spoken 
nis  thoughts.  "  If,"  she  said  at  length,  "  if  I  had 
only  known  it  in  time  to  have  asked  my  father's 
leave,  I  really  do  think  he  would  have  had  no 
objection." 

"  If  you  think  that,  you  may  decide  on  going 
with  a  clear  conscience." 

"  Is  this  your  opinion — advice  ? " 
.    "  I  give  no  advice,"  said  Hamilton,  laughing, 
"  I  only  wish  you  to  go." 

"  Then — I — will  go,"  said  Hildegarde,  thought- 
fully ;  "go — notwithstanding  a  kind  of  misgiv- 
ing which  I  cannot  overcome,  a  sort  of  a  warning 
— a  presentiment " 

"  I  should  rather  have  suspected  your  sister 
of  having  misgivings  and  warnings,  than  you," 
said  Hamilton  ;  "  yet  she  seems  to  have  none." 

"  She  is  governed  by  her  wishes,  and  Lina 
Berger  ;  besides,  it  is  not  likely  that  anything 
unpleasant  should  occur  to  her  !  " 

"  And  to  you  ?  "  asked  Hamilton,  surprised. 


B  Dag  of  jfreeoom.  185 

"  Not  likely,  either,"  said  Hildegarde,  gayly  ; 
"  for  thank  goodness,  Oscar  must  spend  the 
evening  with  Marie,  when  they  are  to  be  married 
to-morrow." 

Raimund  had  been  but  once  at  the  Rosen- 
berg's since  the  ball,  and  had  played  cards  the 
whole  evening.  Hamilton  knew  that  she  had 
not  since  spoken  to  him.  Yet,  no  sooner  had 
she  pronounced  her  cousin's  name,  than  all  his 
feelings  changed  ;  he  bit  his  lip,  and  walked  to 
the  window. 

"  I  wish —  "  began  Hildegarde,  but  she  sud- 
denly stopped,  for  she  recognised  Raimund's 
voice  speaking  to  her  sister  in  the  passage. 
Hamilton  strode  across  the  room. 

"  Oh,  stay  !  stay,  I  entreat  of  you  !  "  she  cried, 
anxiously. 

"  Do  you  not  wish  to  be  alone  with  your 
cousin  ?" 

"  No,  no,  no — that  is,"  she  added,  hurriedly, 
"  yes — perhaps  it  is  better " 

"As  you  please,"  said  Hamilton,  moving  again 
towards  the  door. 

Hildegarde  seemed  greatly  embarrassed.  "  If 
you  would  only  promise  not  to  say  anything  to 
make " 

"  I  really  do  not  understand  you,"  cried  Ham- 
ilton, impatiently. 

*'  When  he  has  been  here  for  a  minute  or 
two,"  she  said,  quickly,  "go  for  Crescenz  and 
Madame  Lustig,  say  they  must  come  here — must 


i86  ttbc  Ifnttials. 


remain "  Her  cousin  entered  the  room 

while  she  was  speaking. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  interrupt  you,  my  dear  Hilde- 
garde,"  he  said,  with  a  stiff  and  evidently  forced 
smile,  "  but  I  come  to  take  leave " 

"  Take  leave  !  what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  am  to  be  executed  to-morrow,  you  know." 

"  Ah  !— so " 

"  It  is  particularly  kind  of  you  and  Crescenz 
to  put  on  mourning  for  me  beforehand,"  he 
continued,  glancing  gravely  at  her  black  dress. 

"  Oscar,  how  can  you  talk  so  ? "  said  Hilde- 
garde,  reproachfully  ;  "  such  jesting  is,  to-day, 
particularly  ill-timed." 

"  By  heaven,  I  am  not  jesting.  I  never  was 
less  disposed  to  mirth  than  at  this  moment,"  he 
answered,  falling  heavily  into  a  chair,  and  draw- 
ing his  handkerchief  across  his  forehead. 

"  Have  you  been  with  Marie  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  you  will  return  to  her  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  I  must." 

"  Here  Hamilton  precipitately  left  the  room  to 
summon  Madame  Lustig  and  Crescenz,  but  they 
were  much  too  busily  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  a  complicated  cake  to  follow  him,  so  he 
hurried  back  alone  to  the  drawing-room,  and 

found  Hildegarde in  her  cousin's  arms.  She 

was  not  struggling,  she  did  not  even  move  as  he 
entered,  while  Raimund,  not  in  the  least  discon- 
certed by  his  presence,  passionately  kissed  her 


B  S>ag  of  tfreefcom.  187 


two  or  three  times.  At  length  she  suddenly  and 
vehemently  pushed  him  from  her,  exclaiming, 
"  Go,  I  hate  you  !  " 

"  You  hate  me  !  hate  me,  did  you  say  ?  Let 
me  hear  that  once  more,  Hildegarde,"  he  said, 
losing  every  trace  of  colour  as  he  spoke. 

"  No,  no  —  I  don't  hate  you  —  but  you  have 
acted  very  —  very  ungenerously,"  said  Hilde- 
garde, with  ill-suppressed  emotion. 

"  I  understand  you  ;  but  you  will  forgive  me 
this  last  offence,  I  hope  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  forgive  you,  and  will  try  to  forgive 
you  all  you  have  done  to  worry  and  alarm  me 
since  our  acquaintance  began,"  said  Hildegarde, 
bitterly,  "  but  this  must  indeed  be  the  last  offence." 

"  It  will  be,  most  certainly,"  said  Raimund  ; 
and,  taking  both  her  hands,  he  looked  at  her  long 
and  earnestly,  and  then  left  the  room  without  in 
any  manner  noticing  Hamilton. 

A  long  pause  ensued.  Hamilton's  eyes  were 
riveted  on  his  book,  which  he  had  again  taken 
up  ;  but  he  never  turned  over  the  leaf,  nor  did 
he  move  when  he  became  conscious  that  Hilde- 
garde was  standing  beside  him. 

"  That  was  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  made 
at  the  ball  on  Saturday,"  she  at  length  said,  in  a 
very  low  voice.  "  I  knew  that  his  mind  was  in 
a  state  of  unusual  irritation,  and  his  claiming  a 
dance  which  I  had  not  promised  him  proved  his 
wish  to  quarrel  with  you.  My  fears  alone  made 
me  consent." 


i88  tTbe  flnitfate. 


Hamilton  turned  round.  A  light  seemed  sud- 
denly to  break  upon  him  ;  and  Hildegarde's 
motives  for  many  inexplicable  actions  became  at 
once  apparent.  His  first  impulse  was  to  tell  her 
so,  and  to  assure  her  of  his  increased  admiration 
and  affection ;  but  he  recollected,  just  at  the 
right  moment,  that  all  such  explanations  from 
him  were  a  waste  of  words  and  time  ;  that  he 
had  told  her  so  more  than  once  himself.  So, 
after  a  short  but  violent  internal  struggle,  he 
said,  with  forced  serenity,  "  My  reliance  on  you 
will  henceforth  be  unbounded." 

She  seemed  perfectly  satisfied  with  this  answer. 
Notwithstanding  its  laconicism,  she  fully  under- 
stood the  extent  of  confidence  which  would  in 
future  be  placed  in  her,  and  she  left  the  room 
with  a  light  heart. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

THE    MASQUERADE. 

muffled  figures  quitted  the  Rosenbergs' 
apartments  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
and  not  long  after,  a  light  figure  bounded  up  the 
stairs,  and  knocked  with  closed  hand  on  the 
door.  Walburg  cautiously  looked  through  the 
grated  aperture  ;  but  on  recognising  Count  Rai- 
mund,  she  immediately  opened  it. 

"  Where  are  your  ladies  gone  ?     I  saw  them 
leaving  the  house  a  few  minutes  ago. 


/RasqueraDe.  189 


"  They  are  gone  to  spend  the  evening  with 
Madame  Berger,  I  believe." 

"  Did  you  hear  them  say  anything  about  going 
to  the  masquerade  ?  " 

"  No  ;  but  Miss  Crescenz  did  nothing  but  run 
about  and  whisper  the  last  half  hour,  and  Mad- 
ame Lustig  took  the  house-keys  with  her,  and 
said  I  might  go  to  bed  if  they  were  not  home 
before  ten  o'clock.  I  am  almost  sure  they  intend 
to  go  to  the  masquerade  ;  and  Miss  Crescenz 
might  have  trusted  me,  as  I  should  never  have 
said  anything  about  it." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  mistaken,"  said  Raimund, 
absently.  "At  all  events,  it  is  better  to  say 
nothing  about  it  to  Madame  Rosenberg,"  and  he 
slowly  descended  the  stairs,  and  walked  towards 
Dr.  Berger's  house,  remaining  in  the  street  near 
it  until  he  saw  the  five  black  masked  figures 
enter  a  carriage.  Though  all  studiously  dressed 
alike,  he  easily  recognised  Madame  Berger's 
small,  and  Madame  Lustig's  stout  figure,  while 
Hildegarde  and  Crescenz  were  sufficiently  above 
the  usual  height  to  make  the  group  remarkable. 

It  was  early  when  they  entered  the  theatre, 
but  the  house  was  already  crowded,  the  tiers  of 
boxes  were  filled  with  spectators,  who,  later  in 
the  evening,  joined  the  masks  in  the  large  ball- 
room formed  by  the  junction  of  the  pit  and 
stage.  Crescenz  became  alarmed  when  sur- 
rounded by  a  number  of  speaking  masks,  and 
clung  to  Hamilton's  arm.  Madame  Berger  and 


Unitials. 


Madame  Lustig,  on  the  contrary,  laughed  and 
talked  with  a  freedom  which  rather  shocked 
Hamilton.  Hildegarde  at  first  answered  gayly 
all  who  addressed  her  ;  for  she  felt  that  she  was 
perfectly  unknown ;  but  after  some  time  she 
perceived  that  two  masks  had  joined  their  party, 
and  seemed  determined  to  remain  with  them. 
A  slight  young  Turk  had  attached  himself  to 
Madame  Berger,  while  a  mysterious  black  dom- 
ino followed  her  like  a  shadow. 

"  How  much  pleasanter  it  must  be  to  look  on 
from  above!"  she  observed,  at  length;  "one 
has  all  the  amusement  without  the  press  and 
anxiety  of  the  crowd." 

"  Oh,  dear  !  I  have  got  quite  used  to  it  now," 
said  Crescenz,  "  and  I  am  not  at  all  afraid." 

"  If  there  are  places  in  the  boxes  to  be  had," 
said  Hamilton,  "and  you  are  willing  to  leave 
this  turmoil,  I  am  quite  sure  I  can  procure  them 
for  you." 

"Oh,  thank  you,  let  us  ask  Madame  Lustig." 

But  Madame  Lustig  protested  against  the 
plan.  She  could  not  allow  them  to  leave  her — 
it  would  be  quite  improper  if  they  were  to  be 
seen  alone  with  Mr.  Hamilton — indeed,  she 
would  rather  they  were  not  seen  at  all,  and  she 
positively  could  not  leave  Madame  Berger  with 
that  troublesome  Turk,  not  having  the  least  idea 
who  he  might  be  ! 

"  There  is  no  use  in  asking  Lina,"  said  Cres- 
cenz to  Hamilton,  who  had  moved  towards 


191 


Madame  Berger.  And,  indeed,  all  his  argu- 
ments proved  vain.  "  People  should  not  go  to 
masquerades  who  did  not  know  how  to  enjoy 
themselves  !  She  had  no  idea  of  coming  to  the 
theatre  to  mope  away  the  evening  in  a  box  —  she 
could  do  that  four  times  every  week  ;  besides, 
the  presence  of  Mr.  Hamilton  was  necessary  for 
propriety's  sake,  and  she  could  not,  and  would 
not  dispense  with  his  attendance."  All  this  was 
poured  forth  with  a  volubility,  in  French,  that 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  by-standers.  "  No, 
the  gay  little  devil  of  a  masque  must  not  think 
of  going,  nor  her  corpulent  friend  either  !  "  and 
they  were  again  drawn  on  with  the  crowd  : 
Hamilton  followed  with  the  sisters,  who  now 
ceased  altogether  to  speak.  Crescenz  had  also 
become  aware  that  they  were  followed  by  a 
black,  taciturn  figure,  which,  as  she  whispered 
to  Hamilton,  put  her  in  mind  of  the  Inquisition, 
and  all  sorts  of  horrors. 

"  But,"  said  Hildegarde,  who  had  heard  her 
remark,  "  we  are  also  quite  black,  and  probably 
make  the  same  disagreeable  impression  on  other 
people." 

"  He  seems  quite  unknown  !  I  have  not 
seen  him  speak  to  any  human  being,"  said  Cres- 
cenz. 

"  Neither  have  we,  for  the  last  half  hour,"  an- 
swered her  sister. 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  if  you  have  no  objection  to  hav- 
ing him  at  your  elbow  all  the  evening,  I  have 


Unitials. 


nothing  more  to  say,"  cried  Crescenz  ;  "  that  is 
quite  a  matter  of  taste." 

"  Is  he  annoying  you  in  any  way  ? "  asked 
Hamilton. 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  answered  Hildegarde.  "  The 
crowd  is  so  great  that  he  could  not  easily  leave 
us,  even  if  he  wished  it." 

In  the  meantime,  Madame  Berger  and  Mad- 
ame Lustig,  encouraged  by  the  masks  around 
them,  had  begun  to  follow  the  unmasked  groups 
who  had  descended  from  the  boxes.  They  knew 
the  private  histories  of  most  persons,  and  were  so 
unmerciful  in  their  remarks — so  mischievous  in 
the  distribution  of  their  bon-bons  and  devices, 
that  they  at  length  found  it  expedient  to  plan  a 
retreat,  which  was  no  longer  easy,  as  they  were 
followed  by  several  persons  who  wished  to  find 
out  who  they  were.  A  dance  which  was  to  be 
performed  by  the  corps  de  ballet,  in  costume, 
seemed  to  favour  them.  They  had  only  time  to 
whisper  to  each  other,  "  Home,  as  fast  as  possi- 
ble, by  the  front  door  of  the  theatre,"  when  they 
were  pushed  about  and  separated  in  all  direc- 
tions. Several  coaches  were  in  attendance,  Ham- 
ilton immediately  procured  one,  and  they  were 
soon  in  it  laughing  merrily  over  their  adventures. 

"  How  well  we  all  managed  to  come  together, 
after  all !"  cried  Madame  Berger  ;  "  I  really  had 
begun  to  fear  we  should  not  get  rid  of  my  Turk 
— who  could  he  have  been  !" 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Madame  Lustig,  yawning, 


Gbe  dfcasqueraDe.  193 


"  but  I  am  glad  that  we  five  are  safely  together 
again,  and  not  running  about  looking  for  each 
other,  which  might  easily  have  happened." 

"  It  often  does  happen,"  said  Madame  Berger, 
counting  her  companions,  "  one,  two,  three,  four, 
five  -  There  was  a  black  familiar  of  the  Inqui- 
sition following  Hildegarde  all  night  ;  I  really 
was  afraid  he  might  have  been  among  us." 

To  her  house,  according  to  agreement,  they 
all  repaired  to  change  their  dresses.  Hamilton 
assisted  them  to  descend  from  the  carriage  ;  the 
last  person  sprang  unaided  to  the  ground,  threw 
the  black  domino  back,  with  a  quick  wave  of  the 
hand,  and  discovered  the  figure  of  the  Turk. 
"  Good-night,  Madame  Berger,"  he  cried  in  a 
feigned  voice,  "  good-night  —  good-night,"  and 
with  a  gay  laugh  he  darted  down  the  street. 

"  Was  there  ever  anything  so  provoking  !  "  ex- 
claimed Madame  Berger,  in  a  voice  denoting 
great  annoyance.  "  What  have  I  said  to  him  to- 
night ?  or  rather,  what  have  I  not  said  to  him  ? 
How  vexatious  —  he  must  have  borrowed  a  dom- 
ino from  a  friend  in  order  to  get  among  us  !" 

"  But,"  cried  Madame  Lustig,  in  a  voice  of 
alarm,  "  one  of  us  must  have  been  left  behind." 

"  It  must  be  Crescenz,"  cried  Hamilton.  "  I 
will  return  to  the  theatre  directly  for  her." 

"  It  must  be  Hildegarde,"  cried  Crescenz,  who 
stood  beside  him. 

Without  uttering  a  word,  he  sprang  into  the 
carriage,  and  the  coachman  drove  off.  His 

VOL.  II.  —  13 


194  Gbe  flntttals. 


anxiety  was  indescribable  ;  in  the  crowd  he  had 
felt  the  absolute  necessity  of  releasing  the  arm  of 
one  of  the  sisters,  and  deceived  by  the  extreme 
likeness  in  their  figures,  had  almost  forcibly  re- 
tained Crescenz,  who  chanced  to  be  at  the  mo- 
ment followed  by  the  silent  mask,  and  whom  he 
consequently  mistook  for  her  sister. 

At  the  theatre  he  dismissed  the  coachman,  and 
began  making  inquiries.  "  A  black  domino  alone, 
separated  from  a  party  of  friends  ?  "  Numbers  of 
black  dominoes  had  been  seen — many  had  been 
separated  from  their  friends  !  was  the  usual  an- 
swer. At  length,  a  footman  who  had  been  loung- 
ing at  a  distance,  observed,  that  about  half  an 
hour  before,  a  black  domino — a  lady,  had  been 
stunned  by  a  blow  from  the  pole  of  a  carriage, 
and  had  been  carried  off  by  another  black  dom- 
ino. 

"That  may  have  been  Hildegarde !"  cried 
Hamilton,  in  a  state  of  fearful  anxiety. 

"  I  think  that  was  the  name  he  called  her," 
said  the  man,  preparing  to  walk  away. 

"  He  !     Who  is  he  ?  "  asked  Hamilton. 

"  I  don't  know — he  said  he  lived  close  by,  and 
that  he  was  a  near  relation." 

"  Raimund  !"  almost  groaned  Hamilton,  as  he 
rushed  out  of  the  theatre  towards  the  lodgings, 
which  he  knew  were  in  one  of  the  adjoining 
streets. 

The  door  at  one  side  of  the  entrance-gate  was 
slightly  ajar,  it  had  probably  been  left  so  by  some 


195 


servants  who  had  stolen  off  to  the  masquerade, 
and  did  not  wish  to  announce  their  return  by 
ringing  the  bell.  Raimund's  rooms  were  on  the 
ground  floor,  a  couple  of  steps  led  to  them. 
Hamilton  ascended  —  the  door  was  open  —  he  en- 
tered a  narrow  passage,  and  stood  opposite  the 
entrance  to  one  of  the  chambers,  knocked  first 
gently,  then  loudly  ;  shook  the  door  ;  no  sound 
reached  him  ;  at  length  he  moved  towards  an- 
other door  and  called  out,  "  Hildegarde,  for 
heaven's  sake,  if  you  are  here,  answer  me  !"  He 
thought  now  he  heard  some  one  moving  in  the 
room. 

"  Let  me  in  —  open  the  door,"  he  cried,  pushing 
with  all  his  strength  against  it. 

"  Wait  a  moment,"  said  a  voice  which  he  with 
difficulty  recognised  as  Hildegarde's,  "  wait  —  I 
must  —  take  the  key  from  —  " 

"  Heaven  and  earth,  Hildegarde  !  How  can 
you  be  so  calm,  when  you  know  how  anxious  we 
must  be  about  you  !  Are  you  alone  ?  " 

"  No  —  yes,"  she  answered,  quite  close  to  the 
door. 

"  Count  Raimund,  you  have  no  right  to  make 
a  prisoner  of  your  cousin.  Open  the  door 
directly,"  cried  Hamilton,  shaking  it  until  the 
hinges  rattled. 

He  heard  at  length  the  key  placed,  with  a 
trembling  hand,  in  the  lock  —  it  turned  and  Hil- 
degarde stood  before  him.  The  hood  of  her 
capuchin  was  thrown  back,  and  her  features, 


196  Cbe  flnitials. 


deadly  pale  and  rigid  in  an  expression  of  horror, 
met  his  view.  She  pointed  silently  towards  a 
figure  lying  on  the  ground,  which,  when  Hamil- 
ton approached,  he  found  to  be  the  corpse  of 
her  cousin  !  He  must  have  shot  himself  through 
the  mouth,  for  the  upper  part  of  his  head,  hair, 
and  brain  were  scattered  in  frightful  bloody 
masses  around.  A  more  hideous  object  could 
hardly  be  imagined  ;  he  turned  away,  and  seiz- 
ing Hildegarde's  hand,  drew  her  out  of  the  room, 
while  he  whispered,  "  What  a  dreadful  scene  for 
you  to  have  witnessed  !  " 

Scarcely  were  they  in  the  street  when,  putting 
her  hand  to  her  head,  she  exclaimed,  "  My  gloves 
— mask — handkerchief,  are  in  his  room — is  it  of 
any  consequence  ? " 

"  Of  the  greatest,"  cried  Hamilton.  "  If  your 
name  be  on  the  handkerchief,  it  may  lead  to 
most  unpleasant  inquiries.  Wait  here.  I  must 
return  to  the  room." 

As  he  entered  the  room  for  the  second  time 
he  observed  an  appearance  of  confusion  in  it 
which,  in  his  haste  and  anxiety  about  Hildegarde, 
had  before  escaped  his  observation.  Her  gloves 
and  handkerchief  he  found  near  the  stove,  and 
not  far  from  them,  to  his  great  surprise,  a  dagger  ! 
On  the  table,  beside  the  small  shaded  lamp,  stood 
a  wine  bottle  and  tumblers,  writing  materials,  and 
several  letters  were  heaped  together  ;  and,  on 
glancing  towards  them,  he  found  one  addressed 
to  Hildegarde,  which  he  immediately  put  in  his 


197 


pocket,  and  then  prepared  to  leave  ;  but,  to  his 
dismay,  he  heard  the  sound  of  approaching 
voices,  and  at  once  his  unpleasant,  perhaps  dan- 
gerous, situation  occurred  to  him.  His  known 
enmity  to  Raimund  made  it  absolutely  necessary 
for  him  to  endeavour  to  leave  the  house  without 
being  recognised,  and,  having  tied  on  Hilde- 
garde's  mask,  he  took  refuge  in  a  small  wood- 
room,  ready  to  escape  the  first  opportunity  that 
should  offer.  The  persons  whose  voices  he  had 
heard  were  servants  ;  one  of  them,  a  French 
girl,  was  speaking  while  he  gained  his  hiding- 
place,  and  he  heard  her  say,  "  The  old  lady 
desired  me  to  call  her  son,  I  would  not  go  into 
his  room  for  all  the  world  at  this  time  of  night." 

"  What  does  she  want  with  him  ?  " 

'*  Oh,  she  says  she  heard  the  report  of  a  gun 
or  pistol  a  short  time  ago,  and  is  alarmed.  She 
asked  me  if  I  had  not  heard  it  too  ?  " 

"  And  did  you  hear  it  ?  " 

"  How  could  I  when  I  was  not  in  the  house  ? 
The  best  thing  I  can  do  is  to  say  that  Count 
Oscar  is  not  yet  returned  home.  I  am  afraid  she 
won't  believe  me,  as  he  never  remains  late  at 
those  Hoffmanns'." 

"  But  you  may  tell  her  that  I  saw  him  going  to 
the  masquerade  at  nine  o'clock  in  a  black  domino. 
We  can  knock  at  the  door,  and  if  we  get  no 
answer,  he  is  not  there." 

"  And  if  he  should  answer  ?  " 

"  Why,  then,  we  can  speak  to  him  together  '  " 


tTbe  Ifnitfate. 


While  they  knocked  at  the  door,  Hamilton 
glided  out  ;  but  not,  as  he  had  hoped,  unseen, 
for  they  turned  and  ran  after  him  into  the  street, 
calling  out,  "  Count  Oscar !  Count  Oscar ! 
Madame  la  Comptesse  wishes  to  speak  to  you." 

Hamilton  shook  his  hand  impatiently  towards 
them,  which  made  them  desist,  and  then  breath- 
lessly joined  Hildegarde,  who  was  standing 
motionless  on  the  spot  where  he  had  left  her. 

"  I  ought  not  to  have  allowed  you  to  return," 
she  said,  clasping  her  hands  convulsively  round 
his  arm,  "it  was  thoughtless — selfish  of  me. 
Had  you  been  seen  !  " 

"  I  have  been  seen,  but  not  recognised,"  said 
Hamilton  ;  "  I  put  on  your  mask,  and  some  ser- 
vants mistook  me  for  Count  Raimund." 

"  Can  that  lead  to  a  discovery  ?  "  asked  Hilde- 
garde, stopping  in  the  middle  of  the  cold,  cheer- 
less street. 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  rather  think  it  will  prevent 
any  discovery  being  made  until  to-morrow  morn- 
ing." 

"  His  wedding-day  !  "  said  Hildegarde,  with  a 
stifled  groan.  "  Oh,  what  will  Marie  de  Hoffmann 
think  of  him  ?  " 

"  She  will  perhaps  guess  the  truth,"  said  Ham- 
ilton. "  I  believe  this  marriage  was  the  im- 
mediate cause  of  the  rash  act." 

"Perhaps  I  am  also  to  blame,"  said  Hilde- 
garde, in  a  scarcely  audible  voice. 

"  It  may  be  ;  but  most  innocently,  I  am  sure. 


199 


It  was  not  your  fault  that  your  cousin  loved  you 
so  madly." 

"  I  —  I  —  did  not  exactly  mean  that,"  said  Hil- 
degarde,  with  a  shudder. 

"  Then,  what  did  you  mean  ?  Tell  me  all  that 
occurred.  That  is,"  added  Hamilton,  for  the 
first  time  since  he  had  joined  her  recurring  to 
his  former  fears,  "that  is,  if  you  can." 

"  I  can,  and  will,  though  the  recollection  is 
most  painful,"  said  Hildegarde,  in  an  agitated 
manner  ;  and,  after  a  moment's  pause,  she  began  : 
"  Having  been  separated  from  you  all,  I  naturally 
endeavoured  to  reach  the  front  door  of  the 
theatre,  where  we  had  agreed  to  assemble  as  soon 
as  possible  ;  always,  to  my  great  annoyance,  fol- 
lowed by  the  black  domino,  who,  in  the  end, 
proved  to  be  Oscar.  Had  I  known  it  sooner,  it 
would  have  saved  me  a  world  of  horrors.  I  was 
excessively  alarmed,  as  you  may  imagine,  and, 
forgetting  my  character  as  mask,  inquired,  in  my 
natural  voice,  of  everyone  I  met  if  they  had  seen 
four  black  dominoes  together  ?  Everyone  had 
seen  dominoes  such  as  I  had  described  ;  and 
after  hearing  that  some  had  left  in  carriages  and 
some  on  foot,  I  at  length  determined  to  walk 
home  alone.  Taking  advantage  of  the  confusion 
caused  by  several  parties  endeavouring  to  drive 
off  together,  and  hoping  by  that  means  to  escape 
from  the  domino  who  had  become  an  object  of 
terror  to  me  —  like  a  thing  in  a  dream  —  I  ran 
at  full  speed  out  of  the  theatre.  In  order  to 


200  Gbe  ITnitfals. 


reach  the  quieter  streets,  I  unfortunately  turned 
towards  the  advancing  line  of  carriages ;  the 
crowd  was  enormous,  and  I  was  buffeted  about  in 
all  directions,  until  at  length  the  pole  of  a  car- 
riage threw  me  down  and  completely  stunned 
me." 

"  So  it  was  you  !  And  were  you  hurt  ? " 
asked  Hamilton,  anxiously,  and  stopping  to  look 
at  his  companion.  Strange  to  say,  he  had,  until 
that  moment,  forgotten  what  he  had  heard  at  the 
theatre  ! 

"  No,  not  much  ;  my  shoulder  is  bruised,  I 
believe,  but  my  head  fell  on  the  ground,  and  I 
was  insensible  for  some  minutes.  Some  one, 
probably  Oscar,  must  have  seized  the  horses' 
heads  and  forced  them  backwards.  When  I 
recovered,  I  felt  myself  supported  by  him,  and 
recognised  his  voice  immediately.  There  was 
a  terrible  stamping  of  horses,  and  noise,  and 
swearing  about  us,  and  I  made  a  violent  effort 
to  walk.  With  Oscar's  assistance,  I  reached  the 
next  street ;  he  proposed  my  going  into  his 
lodgings  for  a  few  minutes  until  I  felt  stronger, 
which  I  at  first  refused,  but  becoming  so  faint 
when  we  were  passing  his  house  that  I  could 
scarcely  stand,  I  thought  it  better  to  go  willingly 
than  perhaps  be  carried  there  in  a  state  of  in- 
sensibility. A  lamp  was  burning  in  the  room 
when  we  entered,  and  wine  was  on  the  table  ; 
he  poured  me  out  a  glass  without  speaking, 
which  I  immediately  drank,  and  then  sat  down 


201 


on  the  sofa  to  rest.  In  the  meantime,  he  walked 
silently  up  and  down  the  room,  and  then  returned 
to  the  table,  where  he  quickly  swallowed  several 
tumblers  of  wine.  Alarmed  by  his  manner,  I 
immediately  stood  up,  and  declared  that  I  was 
quite  able  to  return  home.  If  he  were  not  dis- 
posed to  accompany  me,  I  would  go  alone.  His 
answer  was  locking  the  door  and  placing  the  key 
in  his  pocket." 

"  And  you  ?  "  asked  Hamilton,  quickly,  "  what 
did  you  do  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  describe  the  undefined  terror  which 
this  proceeding  caused  me  ;  but,  on  seeing  the 
dagger,  with  which  he  had  once  so  frightened 
me,  lying  on  the  table,  I  suddenly  seized  it  and 
retreated  towards  the  stove.  He  asked  me  what 
I  meant  ;  but  I  only  answered  by  repeating  the 
the  words,  '  Open  the  door  —  let  me  go  —  let  me 
go.'  He,  however,  then  informed  me  that  he 
had  no  intention  of  doing  either  the  one  or  the 
other  ;  he  was  determined  for  once  that  I  should 
hear  him,  and  answer  him  ;  and  he  ordered  me 
peremptorily  to  give  him  the  dagger.  I,  of 
course,  refused,  and  —  and  -  " 

"  Well,"  said  Hamilton,  breathlessly. 

"  A  violent  struggle  ensued  ;  he  wrested  it 
forcibly  out  of  my  hand,  and,  I  believe,  in  trying 
not  to  hurt  me,  was  wounded  himself,  for  I  saw 
blood  trickling  down  the  blade  as  he  held  it 
triumphantly  up  in  the  air.  In  springing  to 
the  other  side  of  the  stove  I  found  a  bell-rope. 


Unftiats. 


Perhaps  I  wrong  Oscar,  but  I  believe  the  fear 
of  that  bell  alone  preserved  me  from  further 
insult." 

"  He  must  have  been  perfectly  desperate," 
observed  Hamilton,  taking  a  long  breath. 

"  He  appeared  so  to  me,"  continued  Hilcle- 
garde,  shuddering.  "  I  saw  him  change  colour 
as  I  grasped  the  rope ;  but,  with  wonderful  cool- 
ness, he  advised  me  to  refrain  from  summoning 
witnesses  to  my  being  in  his  room  at  such  an 
hour  of  the  night ;  that  I  had  entered  willingly, 
and  no  human  being  would  believe  rny  assertion 
of  innocence,  as  unfortunately  his  reputation  was 
such  that  mine  would  be  lost  should  I  be  seen 
and  recognised.  Though  trembling  with  anger, 
I  perceived  the  justice  of  his  remark,  and  care- 
fully avoided  ringing,  though  I  held  the  cord 
tighter  than  ever.  He  came  nearer  and  nearer, 
and  talked  long  about  his  love,  and  hatred  of 
you.  I  was  too  much  agitated  to  understand 
much  of  what  he  said  ;  and  I  believe  he  per- 
ceived it  at  last,  for  he  threw  himself  at  my  feet 
and  declared  he  would  die  there.  I  pushed 
back  his  hands  with  disgust,  and  told  him  that 
he  need  not  hope  again  to  terrify  me — I  knew 
he  had  no  thought  of  dying,  but  I  once  more  re- 
quested him  to  open  the  door  and  give  me  my 
liberty.  He  started  up  frantically,  and  taking  a 
small  pistol  from  the  table,  again  approached  me. 
I  asked  him  if  he  intended  to  murder  me.  He 
looked  capable  of  that  or  anything  else  at  the 


tTbe  /toasquerafce.  203 


moment,  and  when  he  pointed  it  towards  his  own 
head,  I  —  "  Hildegarde  paused,  and  covered  her 
face  with  her  hands.  Hamilton  did  not  speak, 
and  she  again  continued.  "  I  did  not  —  indeed, 
I  did  not  for  a  moment  think  him  serious,  he 
was  such  a  consummate  actor  !  I  had  seen  him 
in  less  than  half  an  hour  change  from  calm  to 
furious  so  often,  that  I  thought  this  was  only  a 
new  effort  to  work  upon  my  feelings  ;  I  never 
could  —  had  I  dreamed  of  the  consequences  —  at 
all  events,  I  shall  never,  never  be  able  to  forgive 
myself  !  " 

"  You  have  not  told  me  what  you  did,"  said 
Hamilton,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  I  —  laughed  —  and  no  sooner  had  he  heard  the 
horrid  mocking  sound  of  my  forced  laughter, 
than  he  pulled  the  trigger,  and  fell,  so  horribly 
mangled,  to  the  ground  !  "  She  leaned  against 
the  corner  of  a  house,  and  gasped  for  breath. 
"  Do  you  think,"  she  asked,  at  length,  "  do  you 
think  that  I  was  the  immediate  cause  of  his 
death  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Hamilton.  "  I  can  give  you  nearly 
the  assurance  that  he  had  intended  to  commit 
suicide  —  this  very  night  perhaps  —  his  table  was 
covered  with  letters,  and  one,  addressed  to  you, 
I  brought  away  with  me." 

"  Now,  heaven  be  praised  that  this  sin  is  not 
on  my  soul  !  "  she  cried,  fervently,  and  then 
added,  "  I  have  nothing  more  to  tell  you  :  I  don't 
know  how  the  time  passed  until  you  came  —  it 


204  tTbe  ITnitials. 


appeared  very  long,  but  I  never  thought  of  going 
away.  You  will  understand  why  I  was  so  dila- 
tory in  opening  the  door,  when  you  recollect  that 
the  key  was  in  the  pocket  of  his  waistcoat." 

"And  now,"  said  Hamilton,  hurrying  towards 
Madame  Berger's  house,  "let  me  recommend 
secrecy.  I  do  not  think  anyone  will  imagine 
that  we  know  of  this  melancholy  affair.  Should 
we  speak  of  it,  we  might  be  suspected  of  know- 
ing more  than  we  may  be  disposed  to  relate." 

"I  quite  agree  with  you,"  said  Hildegarde, 
"  and  have  not  the  slightest  wish  to  speak  of  it  to 
anyone,  not  even  to  my  father,  for,  never  having 
spoken  to  him  about  Oscar,  my  confidence, 
coming  too  late,  might  offend  him,  as  it  did 
about  Count  Zedwitz." 

"  You  will  have  to  make  a  great  effort,  and 
conceal  every  appearance  of  agitation  from  your 
sister  and  Madame  Lustig,"  said  Hamilton.  "  I 
think  we  had  better  avoid  the  proposed  supper 
at  Madame  Berger's.  Give  me  your  capuchin, 
and  I  will  bring  you  your  bonnet  and  cloak." 

Hildegarde  seated  herself  on  the  stairs,  and 
leaned  her  face  on  her  hands. 

Hamilton's  appearance  without  her  caused 
instantaneous  and  great  alarm  ;  but  when  he  said 
she  was  waiting  for  them  on  the  stairs,  they 
became  almost  angry. 

"  So  she  won't  come  to  supper  !  "  cried  Ma- 
dame Berger.  "  Just  like  her,  an  eternal  spoil- 
sport." 


tlbe  /Hbasquerafce.  205 


"  I  fear  she  has  caught  cold,"  said  Hamilton, 
looking  round  for  the  cloak  ;  "  you  forget  how 
long  she  has  been  in  the  streets  in  her  light 
dress." 

"  But,"  said  Madame  Lustig,  "  she  must  say 
she  caught  cold  making  the  ice-cream  at  the 
passage-window.  I  shall  never  have  courage  to 
confess  that  we  have  been  at  this  masquerade, 
and  that  she  has  been  running  about  the  streets  at 
this  hour  of  night.  Was  she  far  from  the  theatre 
when  you  met  her  ?  " 

"  I  found  her  in  -  Street,"  replied  Hamil- 
ton, evasively,  and  beginning  to  heap  up  cloaks 
and  boas  on  his  arm. 

"  Not  so  fast,  if  you  please,"  cried  Madame 
Lustig.  "  Give  me  my  cloak  —  I  have  no  fancy 
for  catching  cold." 

"  This  is  too  provoking,"  exclaimed  Madame 
Berger  ;  "  I  thought  we  should  have  had  such  a 
merry  supper  ;  the  Doctor  in  bed,  and  every- 
thing so  nice  !  Take  a  glass  of  wine,  at  least, 
before  you  go,  Mr.  Hamilton." 

He  quickly  drank  the  wine,  and  then  ran 
down-stairs.  Hildegarde  stood  up,  and  allowed 
him  to  put  the  cloak  on  her  shoulders,  fasten  it, 
throw  her  boa  round  her  throat,  and  even  place 
her  bonnet  on  her  head  ;  she  merely  asked  : 
"  Are  they  coming  ?  " 

"  Hildegarde,"  cried  Madame  Berger,  who  ac- 
companied the  others  with  a  candle  in  her  hand, 
"  I  take  it  very  ill  of  you  to  spoil  my  supper  in 


206  Gbe  IFnitials. 


this  manner  ;  you  might  have  come  up,  if  only 
for  half  an  hour." 

"  You  have  caught  cold — you  are  ill,"  whispered 
Hamilton,  in  English. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  spoil  your  supper-party,  Lina, 
but  I  am  really  ill,  and  must  go  home,"  said 
Hildegarde,  in  so  constrained  and  husky  a  voice 
that  Madame  Lustig,  mistaking  it  for  hoarseness, 
hurried  down  the  stairs,  exclaiming :  "  Good 
gracious,  the  child  can  hardly  speak  !  What 
will  her  father  say  to  me." 

About  an  hour  after,  while  Hamilton  was  still 
walking  uneasily  up  and  down  his  room,  he  heard 
some  one  knock  at  the  door.  On  opening  it  he 
was  scarcely  surprised  to  see  Hildegarde.  No 
trace  of  colour  had  returned  to  her  face,  but  her 
features  had  regained  their  usual  calm,  statue- 
like  expression. 

"I  knew  I  should  still  find  you  in  this  room," 
she  said,  with  a  faint  smile.  "  You  may  give  me 
my  letter  ;  I  can  read  it  now." 

It  was  on  the  table,  and  Hamilton  pushed  it 
towards  her.  She  sat  down  drew  a  candle  near 
her,  and,  shading  her  eyes  with  one  hand,  held 
the  letter  steadily  with  the  other.  When  she  had 
finished  reading  it,  she  gave  it  to  Hamilton,  say- 
ing :  "  That  is  a  wild  piece  of  composition  ;  how 
fortunate  that  it  fell  into  your  hands  !  Had  it 
been  sent  to  me,  I  should  have  been  placed  in  a 
most  unpleasant  position.  My  father,  my  mother, 
would  have  read  it ;  I  must  have  explained,  and 
Marie  de  Hoffmann  would  perhaps  have  heard  of 


207 


Oscar's  dislike  to  her,  and  have  blamed  me  more 
than  I  deserve." 

Hamilton  read  the  letter,  and  when  she  took  it 
out  of  his  hand,  she  tore  it  to  pieces.  "  I  wish 
I  could  burn  these  remnants,"  she  said,  crushing 
them  together  in  her  hand. 

"  Nothing  more  easy,"  said  Hamilton,  pointing 
towards  the  stove.  They  walked  to  it,  and 
deliberately  burned  the  pieces,  one  by  one  ;  the 
incoherent  sentences  becoming  once  more  legible 
in  a  charred  state  before  they  crumbled  into  ashes. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Hildegarde,  turning  away  ; 
"  and  now,  good-night  !  " 

"  Will  you  not  take  a  candle  ;  or,  shall  I  light 
you  !  "  asked  Hamilton. 

"  Neither  :  I  do  not  wish  to  wake  Walburg." 

As  Hamilton  held  the  door  open,  he  recollected 
vividly  the  last  time  she  had  been  in  his  room  at 
night.  She  was  too  much  preoccupied  to  think 
of  it  ;  but,  stopping  suddenly,  she  turned  to  him, 
and  said  :  "  Do  you  remember  my  warning,  my 
presentiment  of  evil  ?  " 

"Perfectly,"  he  answered  ;  "but  I  think  the 
idea  was  caused  by  your  imagining  you  were 
about  to  do  something  which  your  father  perhaps 
might  not  quite  approve." 

"You  account  for  everything  rationally,  and 
will  of  course  not  believe  me  when  I  tell  you 
that  I  knew  and  felt  beforehand  that  Oscar 
would  come  to  our  house  yesterday,  and  act 
precisely  as  he  did." 

"  I  do  believe  you  ;    but  it  was  your  natural 


Initials. 


understanding  which  made  you  think  he  would 
take  advantage  of  your  parent's  absence  to  claim 
your  promise.  Then  the  almost  certainty  of  my 
presence,  to  give  the  performance  a  zest.  Per- 
haps, however,  the  strongest  motive  of  all,  but 
which  you  could  not  have  known,  was  to  take 
leave  of  you.  I  must  do  him  the  justice  to  say, 
I  believe  he  thought  he  saw  you  for  the  last  time 
then." 

"  Would  that  it  had  been  ? "  said  Hildegarde. 
"  I  could  at  least  have  regretted  him  as  a  near 
relation,  and  felt  pity  for  his  untimely  end." 

"  And  do  you  not  feel  this  !  "  asked  Hamilton. 

"  No,"  answered  Hildegarde,  sternly.  "  In 
recalling  calmly  his  words  and  actions  this  night, 
I  find  him  wholly  unworthy  of  esteem.  My 
recollection  of  him,  now  stained  with  blood,  is 
hideous,  most  horrible."  She  shuddered  while 
she  spoke,  and  then  walked  down  the  dark  pas- 
sage without  looking  at  Hamilton,  who  held  his 
door  open  until  she  had  entered  her  room. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

WHERE    IS    THE    BRIDEGROOM  ? 

LJAMILTON'S   slumbers  were   disturbed  by 

confused  dreams  of  Hildegarde  and  Rai- 

mund  ;  but  towards  morning  he  fell  into  a  heavy 

sleep,  from  which  he  was  awakened  by  the  return 


Tldbere  is  tbe  aSriDegroom  ?  209 

of  Mr.  Rosenberg,  his  wife  and  children  ;  the 
latter,  probably  to  indemnify  themselves  for  their 
forced  good  behaviour  during  their  absence,  now 
scampered  riotously  up  and  down  the  corridor, 
blowing  little  wooden  trumpets,  which  had  been 
given  them  by  their  grandfather  just  before  they 
had  left  him. 

When  Hamilton  was  dressed,  he  found  the 
whole  family  assembled  at  breakfast,  all  in  high 
spirits.  Crescenz  sprang  to  meet  him  in  her 
bridesmaid's  dress,  looking  so  pretty  that  Major 
Stultz's  laboured  compliments  were  for  once  not 
only  pardonable,  but  even  allowable. 

"  Only  think  !  "  she  exclaimed,  "  Hildegarde 
does  not  like  being  bridesmaid,  though  Marie  is 
much  more  her  friend  than  mine  !  She  says  she 
has  got  a  headache,  and  a  cold." 

"  I  knew,"  observed  Madame  Lustig,  "  I  knew 
she  would  catch  cold,  when  I  saw  her  turning 
the  ice-cream  yesterday.  I  ought  not  to  have 
permitted  it." 

"  The  cold  is  not  of  much  importance,"  ob- 
served Madame  Rosenberg  ;  "  I  rather  think 
she  dislikes  putting  on  a  thin  white  muslin  dress 
in  the  morning." 

"  A  very  natural  dislike  at  this  time  of  year," 
said  her  husband.  "  It  makes  me  freeze  only  to 
look  at  Crescenz." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  feel  at  all  cold,"  cried  Crescenz  ; 
"  I  was  down  at  the  Hoffmanns'  too,  and  there  is 
such  a  splendid  dejetint  laid  out — and  Marie 

VOL.  II.— 14 


Cbe  flnttiate. 


really  looks  quite  lovely  in  her  white  silk  dress 
and  orange  flowers  !  " 

"  You  must  excuse  my  doubting  your  last 
assertion,  Crescenz,"  observed  her  father,  smil- 
ing. "  Mademoiselle  de  Hoffmann  is  a  most 
amiable,  excellent  person,  but  as  to  looking  quite 
lovely  in  any  dress,  the  thing  is  impossible." 

"  This  day  week,"  said  Major  Stultz,  pom- 
pously, "  we  shall  see  a  bride  who  looks  lovely  in 
every  dress !  " 

At  this  moment  Hildegarde  entered  the  room  ; 
her  paleness  was  still  more  apparent  than  the 
night  before,  and  her  drooping  eyelids  showed 
plainly  that  she  had  not  slept.  She  wished  Ham- 
ilton good  morning  without  looking  at  him,  and 
then  turned  to  her  father. 

"  My  dear  child,"  said  the  latter,  taking  her 
hand  compassionately,  "  you  seem  really  ill. 
Shall  I  send  for  Dr.  Berger  ? " 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  she  answered,  "  I — I — am  only 
cold,'8  and  she  walked  shivering  to  the  stove. 

"  It  will  soon  be  time  to  go  downstairs,"  said 
Madame  Rosenberg.  "  I  think  we  had  better 
dress  ourselves  for  the  occasion.  This  hint" 
she  added,  "  is  intended  for  the  Major  too — he 
seems  to  forget  the  present,  in  anticipation  of 
the  future." 

Major  Stultz  laughed,  bowed  to  Crescenz,  who 
was  not  looking  at  him,  and  left  the  room  with 
his  future  father-in-law. 

The     moment    the     door    closed,     Crescenz 


TJdbere  is  tbe  JSSriDegroom  ? 


bounded  towards  her  sister.  "Oh,  Hildegarde, 
you  have  no  idea  how  beautifully  arranged  every- 
thing is  downstairs  !  What  a  pity  there  are  to  be 
so  few  people  !  It  was  very  stupid  of  Oscar  to 
prefer  driving  off  into  the  country  at  this  time 
of  year,  to  having  a  gay  dance  in  the  evening. 
However,  Marie  is  quite  satisfied.  Do  you 
know,  the  old  Countess  Raimund  was  below, 
looking  so  red  and  apoplectic.  She  did  not  take 
the  least  notice  of  me,  though  I  heard  her  ask 
who  I  was.  I  dare  say  her  husband  would  not 
acknowledge  us  either  ;  but  he  was  not  there. 
They  said  he  was  to  come  with  Oscar.  Another 
carriage  has  just  driven  up  to  the  door.  Perhaps 
that  may  be  Oscar.  I  wonder,  will  he  be  mar- 
ried in  uniform  ?  No — these  are  some  acquain- 
tances of  the  Hoffmanns' — we  don't  know 
them." 

As  she  continued  at  the  window,  her  sister 
approached  Hamilton.  "  Is  not  this  a  melan- 
choly mummery  ? "  she  said,  glancing  at  her 
bridal  dress.  "  I  feel  as  if  I  were  under  the  in- 
fluence of  a  frightful  dream,  forced  to  act  against 
my  inclination,  and  in  momentary  expectation  of 
some  dreadful  catastrophe.  Am  I  then  really 
awake  ?  "  she  added,  extending  her  cold  hand  to 
him. 

"  I  hope  at  least  I  am  not  dreaming,"  he  said, 
holding  it  firmly,  and  looking  at  her  until  a  tran- 
sient flush  passed  across  her  pale  features. 

"  It  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  appear  sur- 


Cbe  flnitials. 


prised  when  I  hear  what  I  already  know  but  too 
well,"  she  said. 

"  No  one  will  observe  you  in  such  a  moment, 
and  I  will  endeavour  to  remain  near  you." 

Here  Madame  Rosenberg  summoned  them, 
and  they  all  descended  the  stairs  together.  There 
were  about  twenty  persons  assembled,  to  whom 
Madame  de  Hoffmann  was  talking  in  her  usual 
loud,  sharp  manner,  while  she  paid  particular 
attention  to  a  grand,  stiff-looking,  elderly  woman, 
in  whom  Hamilton  immediately  recognised  the 
mother  of  Raimund.  Hildegarde  and  Crescenz 
went  into  the  adjoining  room,  where  the  bride 
was  loitering  until  the  arrival  of  the  bridegroom. 
Hamilton  walked  to  the  window,  and  awaited  in 
anxious  silence  the  expected  scene  ;  a  minute 
after,  Count  Raimund's  carriage  drove  to  the 
door.  Without  waiting  to  see  who  descended 
from  it,  Madame  de  Hoffmann  conducted  her 
daughter  into  the  drawing-room,  and  while  occu- 
pied in  receiving  the  congratulations  of  her  as- 
sembled friends,  the  poor  girl  did  not  perceive 
that  her  mother  had  been  somewhat  mysteriously 
called  out  of  the  room  ;  soon  after  the  Countess 
Raimund  was  summoned,  and  she  returned  no 
more  ;  Hamilton  saw  her  assisted  into  her  car- 
riage, and  driven  off.  Then  a  couple  of  elderly 
gentlemen  and  Mr.  Rosenberg  were  sent  for ; 
the  latter  alone  returned,  deprived  of  his  usual 
serenity,  and  evidently  at  a  loss  what  to  say.  He 
approached  Mademoiselle  de  Hoffmann,  looked 


TKflbere  is  tbe  Bridegroom?  213 

round  the  room,  and  then  said  :  "  I  am  sorry  to  be 
the  bearer  of  unpleasant  tidings — but — Count 
Raimund  has  become  so  suddenly  and  alarmingly 
ill,  that  his  mother  has  been  obliged  to  return 
home — and — the  marriage — cannot  possibly  take 
place — to-day." 

"  111  !  "  exclaimed  Marie,  growing  very  pale. 
"  Where  is  my  mother  ? " 

She  entered  at  the  moment,  and  Hamilton  saw 
from  her  extreme  agitation  that  she  knew  all.  She 
spoke  hurriedly  and  confusedly  with  her  guests, 
unconsciously  showing  her  impatience  to  get  rid 
of  them.  The  Rosenbergs  were  the  last,  and 
were  about  to  retire,  when  Marie  laid  her  hand 
on  Hildegarde's  arm,  and  begged  her  to  remain 
with  her. 

"  Mademoiselle  Hildegarde  will  not  be  able  to 
offer  you  much  consolation,  Marie,"  said  her 
mother,  bitterly  ;  "  there  is  little  or  no  chance  of 
Count  Raimund's  recovery." 

"  While  there  is  life  there  is  hope,"  said  the 
poor  girl,  bursting  into  tears.  "  I  suppose  he  has 
got  the  cholera,  but  many  people  have  recovered 
from  it,  and  why  should  not  he  ?  " 

Madame  Rosenberg  left  the  room,  followed  by 
her  husband,  Crescenz,  and  Hamilton. 

About  an  hour  afterwards,  Hildegarde  re- 
turned home,  and  changed  her  dress.  She  found 
her  father,  mother,  and  Major  Stultz  talking 
eagerly  in  the  drawing-room  ;  the  moment  she 
appeared,  her  father  exclaimed,  "  See  there  is 


ftbe  Unittals. 


Hildegarde  already  in  mourning  !  I  am  sure  a 
natural  feeling  of  propriety  induced  her  to  put 
on  a  black  dress." 

"A  natural  feeling  of  pride,"  cried  Madame 
Rosenberg  ;  "  she  wishes  people  to  know  that  a 
Count  Raimund  was  her  cousin  ;  her  aunt,  how- 
ever, the  Countess,  examined  her  superciliously 
enough  through  her  lorgnette  to-day,  without  in 
the  least  appearing  to  remember  the  relation- 
ship." 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  said  Hildegarde,  ap- 
pealing to  her  father. 

"  The  matter  !  "  cried  Madame  Rosenberg. 
"  Your  father  most  absurdly  wishes  you  and  your 
sister  to  put  on  mourning  for  your  worthless 
cousin,  and  proposes  Crescenz's  marriage  being 
deferred  until  after  Easter.  Heaven  knows  in 
these  cholera  times,  where  we  may  all  be  in  six  or 
seven  weeks." 

"  Babette  !  "  said  her  husband  reproachfully, 
"  this  is  going  too  far." 

"  Well,  I  did  not  quite  mean  to  say  so  much, 
but  I  am  against  any  further  delays  ;  let  the  girls 
wear  mourning  if  you  wish  it,  and  I  promise  to 
arrange  the  wedding  so  quietly  that  no  one  will 
know  anything  about  the  matter." 

"  This  is  a  reasonable  proposal,"  said  Major 
Stultz.  "  Crescenz  can  put  on  her  mourning 
after  her  marriage,  and  wear  it  for  six  months,  if 
you  wish  it." 

"A  few  weeks,  for  decency's  sake,"  said   Mr. 


TRIlbere  fs  tbe  Brt&egroom  ?  215 

Rosenberg,  "  I  certainly  do  desire.  Count  Oscar 
at  least  acknowledged  the  relationship,  and  his 
parents'  neglect  cannot  alter  the  position  of  my 
daughters,  or  prevent  them  from  mourning  the 
unhappy  end  of  their  mother's  nephew." 

In  the  meantime  Hamilton  had  approached 
Hildegarde,  and  asked  her  how  her  friend  had 
borne  the  intelligence. 

"We  did  not  venture  to  tell  her.  She  still 
thinks  and  talks  of  cholera  ;  but,"  she  added,  in 
a  low  voice,  "imagine  Madame  de  Hoffmann 
taking  me  aside,  and  in  the  most  abrupt  and  un- 
feeling manner  informing  me  of  the  real  facts, 
fixing  her  small  inquisitive  eyes  on  my  face  the 
whole  time.  She  little  knew  how  well  prepared 
I  was  for  her  intelligence  !  " 

"  What  did  you  say  ? " 

"  Very  little.  That  it  was  a  melancholy  affair 
altogether.  That  Oscar  had  possessed  some  good 
and  many  brilliant  qualities,  but  that,  had  he 
lived,  I  feared  he  was  not  calculated  to  have 
made  Marie  happy." 

"  Did  she  agree  with  you  ?  " 

''  More  than  I  wished.  She  said,  that  after  the 
first  month  she  had  endeavoured  to  draw  back, 
but  that  the  Raimunds  had  not  allowed  her.  She 
had  long  perceived  that  Oscar  did  not  care  for 
her  daughter,  and  had  suspected  that  I  was  the 
object  of  his  love,  and  that  I  returned  it  too,  but 
she  said  she  was  now  convinced  of  her  error,  and 
begged  my  pardon  for  her  unjust  suspicion." 


216  ttbe  irnitiats. 


"  And  you  ? " 

"  I  pardoned  her  without  difficulty,  as  you 
may  suppose.  Indeed,  Oscar's  conduct  must 
have  alarmed  and  irritated  any  reasonable  mother. 
Marie's  blindness  has  been  incomprehensible  to 
me." 

"  You  forget  that  love  is  blind." 

"  Yes,  to  faults,  but  not  to  flagrant  neglect." 

"To  weaknesses,  faults,  ill-usage,  to  every- 
thing," said  Hamilton. 

"I  suppose  it  is  so,"  said  Hildegarde,  thought- 
fully. "  Marie  certainly  was  blind  to  all  his 
errors,  and  will  probably  ever  remain  so.  I  was 
dazzled  myself  at  first,  as  you  may  remember." 

"Perfectly,"  said  Hamilton,  dryly. 

"  I  know  I  have  a  sad  habit  of  taking  likings 
and  disliking,"  she  continued,  listlessly. 

"Yes,  and  on  such  occasions  you  are  not 
exactly  blind  ;  you  can  even  mistake  faults  for 
perfections." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  it  is  true,"  said  Hildegarde, 
leaning  back  in  her  chair,  with  half-closed  eyes, 
and  speaking  very  slowly.  "  I  remember  for 
some  time  thinking  Madame  de  Hoffmann  agree- 
able and  entertaining ;  her  severe  remarks  I 
mistook  for  wit,  until  they  were  directed  against 
myself." 

"  And  what  an  antipathy  you  took  to  me  at 
first  sight !  "  observed  Hamilton. 

"You  have  no  idea  how  she  disliked  you," 
cried  Crescenz,  who  had,  unperceived,  ap-. 


llBlbere  is  tbc  Bridegroom?  217 

preached  them.  They  both  started,  and  then 
blushed,  as  she  continued,  "  if  you  had  only 
heard  her  in  Berchtesgarden  railing  at  the  cold, 
proud  Englishman." 

"Crescenz,"  said  Hildegarde,  with  evident 
effort,  "  don't  let  us  talk  of  that  now  ;  I  cannot 
defend  myself  against  you  both  to-day,  I  am  too 
tired." 

"  Perhaps  you  begin  to  think  differently  of 
him,"  said  Crescenz,  archly  ;  "  Lina  Berger  may 
after  all  be  right.  When  we  were  waiting  for 
you  last  night  at  her  house,  she  said  she  thought 
your  hatred  might  in  the  end  turn  into ' 

"  Oh,  Crescenz,"  gasped  Hildegarde,  in  so 
unnatural  a  tone  that  her  father  called  out, 
"  Why,  what  's  the  matter  there  ? " 

"  Hildegarde  is  getting  into  a  passion,"  said 
Madame  Rosenberg.  "  Do  you  not  see  how  she 
is  changing  color  ?  " 

And  changing  color  she  was,  with  frightful 
rapidity  ;  no  one  but  Hamilton  knew  that  she 
'had  been  twenty-four  hours  without  eating,  for 
in  the  hurry  of  preparing  for  the  wedding,  her 
not  breakfasting  had  passed  unobserved.  None 
but  he  knew  the  shock  which  her  nerves  had 
received  the  night  before,  the  constraint  under 
which  she  had  been  labouring  ;  xhe  alone  under- 
stood that  Crescenz 's  last  remark  was  the  drop 
which  made  the  cup  of  bitterness  to  overflow, 
and  yet  he  was  quite  as  much  shocked  as  the 
others  when,  stretching  out  her  arm,  and  vainly 


2i8  Sbe  flnitiala. 


grasping  the  air  for  support,  she  fell  senseless  on 
the  floor. 

"  Crescenz,  what  have  you  said  to  your  sis- 
ter ?  "  cried  her  father,  rushing  forward. 

"  I  don't  know — I  don't  remember.  What 
did  I  say  ?  "  she  cried,  appealing  with  a  look  of 
alarm  to  Hamilton. 

Mr.  Rosenberg  raised  Hildegarde,  who,  how- 
ever, gave  no  sign  of  returning  life  ;  he  was  so 
alarmed  and  trembled  so  violently,  that  Hamil- 
ton was  obliged  to  assist  him  to  lay  her  on  the 
sofa,  while  Crescenz  opened  the  window,  and 
Madame  Rosenberg  went  for  water.  Their 
united  efforts  at  length  brought  her  to  conscious- 
ness ;  she  opened  her  eyes,  perceived  her  father's 
terror  as  he  hung  over  her,  and  while  assuring 
him  that  she  was  quite  well  again,  relapsed  into 
a  state  of  insensibility,  which  lasted  until  she  had 
been  removed  to  her  room,  and  placed  on  her 
bed. 

Doctor  Berger  was  sent  for.  He  hoped  her 
illness  might  prove  of  no  consequence,  but  she 
must  be  kept  very  quiet  ;  there  were  symptoms 
which  might  lead  to  typhus  or  brain  fever. 
Crescenz  repeated  this  opinion  to  her  sister, 
who,  on  hearing  it,  immediately  desired  to  see 
Hamilton. 

"  But  not  now — not  here,"  said  Crescenz. 

"  No,  I  believe  I  must  write  a  few  lines,  and 
you  can  give  my  note  to  him  as  he  passes  on  his 
way  to  his  room." 


TJdbere  is  tbe  ^Bridegroom  ?  219 

Crescenz  brought  a  pencil  and  paper,  and 
Hildegarde  wrote  in  English  : 

"  You  have  heard  the  Doctor's  opinion  of  my 
illness ;  I  think,  myself,  it  will  only  prove  a 
severe  cold.  Should  it,  however,  end  in  fever, 
and  should  I  become  delirious,  you  must  go  to 
Mademoiselle  Hortense,  one  of  the  governesses 
in  our  school,  tell  her  my  situation,  and  say  I 
request  her  to  come  and  take  charge  of  me.  My 
step-mother  will  be  satisfied  with  the  arrange- 
ment, and  you  have  no  refusal  to  fear ;  my 
motives  you  will  easily  guess." 

"  May  I  read  it  ? "  asked  Crescenz  as  she 
received  the  paper  from  her  sister — "  ah  !  it  is 
English ;  how  fond  you  are  of  everything 
English." 

"  It  is  a  commission  to  Mademoiselle  Hor- 
tense ;  you  may  see  her  name,"  said  Hildegarde. 
u  Mr.  Hamilton  can  more  easily  go  to  her  than 
you  can." 

"  Oh,  if  that  be  all,  I  am  glad  you  have  chosen 
him,  for  you  know  I  am  horribly  afraid  of  her." 

"  I  know,"  said  Hildegarde,  pressing  her  hand 
on  her  forehead,  and  turning  away. 

The  next  two  days  were  passed  over  in  uncer- 
tainty, and  Hamilton  wandered  about  disconso- 
lately enough ;  but  on  the  third,  Hildegarde 
appeared  to  relieve  his  mind  ;  and  so  great  was 
her  father's  joy  at  her  recovery,  that  he  actually 
spent  the  whole  evening  at  home,  without  even 
requiring  a  rubber  of  whist. 


220  tTbc  Ifnittals. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE    WEDDING    AU    TROISIEME. 

OEVERAL  days  passed  over.  Count  Rai- 
^  mund's  death  had  been  much  discussed 
among  his  acquaintance,  who  almost  unanimous- 
ly agreed  in  thinking  he  had  committed  the  rash 
act  to  avoid  a  connection  so  much  beneath  him. 
He  was  more  regretted  than  he  deserved  ;  his 
various  talents  having  made  him  unusually  popu- 
lar, and,  in  the  society  in  which  he  had  moved, 
people  were  not  generally  in  the  habit  of  studying 
character,  or  seeking  motives  of  action.  His  circle 
was,  however,  so  completely  unknown  to  the 
Rosenbergs  ;  they  were  so  totally  without  any  sort 
of  communication  with  any  member  of  it,  now  that 
Count  Zedwitz  had  ceased  to  frequent  their  house, 
that  they  heard  none  of  the  remarks — not  one 
of  the  particulars.  It  spared  Hildegarde  much 
anxiety,  for  his  wounded  hand,  the  blood-stained 
dagger,  and  open  door,  had  caused  many  inquir- 
ries  ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  a  letter  which  he 
had  written  to  his  father  (in  the  vain  endeavour 
to  exculpate  himself),  might  have  led  to  suspi- 
cions of  murder. 

The  Rosenbergs  heard  nothing,  and  the  prepa- 
rations for  Crescenz's  marriage  began  ;  they  were 
conducted  with  ostentatious  secrecy  to  please 
Mr.  Rosenberg,  who  had  consented  to  its  taking 
place  sooner  than  had  been  expected,  as  the  Hoff- 


(Tbe  Wedding  au  Groisieme. 


manns  had  left  the  house,  and  removed  altogether 
to  Augsburg.  Madame  Berger  had  promised  to 
play  waltzes  if  the  company  should  prove  numer- 
ous enough  to  enable  them  to  dance,  and  Madame 
Lustig  had  spent  two  or  three  afternoons  cooking 
for  the  supper.  On  the  wedding-day,  Hamilton 
was  not  a  little  surprised  to  find  Crescenz  sitting 
composedly  at  breakfast  in  her  gingham  morning- 
wrapper,  while  her  father  left  the  room  to  go  to 
his  office  as  usual. 

"  I  believe  I  have  dressed  too  early,"  he  said, 
glancing  at  his  studied  toilet ;  "  may  I  ask  at 
what  hour " 

"At  five  in  the  afternoon,"  answered  Hilde- 
garde.  "  Mamma  has  determined  to  keep  her 
promise,  and  has  desired  our  friends  to  meet  us 
at  the  Frauen  Church.  On  our  return  it  will  be 
almost  dark,  and  no  one  will  know  that  we  have 
a  wedding  in  the  house." 

"  But  we  shall  dance,"  cried  Crescenz,  "  and 
Major  Stultz  said  I  might  waltz  as  often  as  I 
pleased  with  you  this  evening  !  " 

"  How  very  kind  !  "  said  Hamilton,  smiling  ; 
"  and  how  often  do  you  intend  to  make  use  of  the 
permission  ? " 

"  That  depends  upon  you,  I  should  think,"  she 
answered,  blushing. 

"  You  had  better  not  trust  to  my  discretion.  I 
shall  be  tempted  to  make  up  for  lost  time,  and 
dance  with  you  the  whole  evening.  You  have 
put  no  sugar  in  my  coffee,"  turning  with  a  look 


Sbe  Untttalg. 


of  mock  distress  to  Hildegarde.  "  Did  you  for- 
get it  on  purpose  to  punish  me  for  being  so  late  ? " 

"  No.     I — I  was  thinking  of  something." 

"  And  that  something  ?  " 

"  Is  not  of  much  importance.  I  was  thinking 
that,  had  you  made  that  speech  to  Crescenz  a  few 
months  ago,  I  should  have  been  angry,  for  I 
should  have  imagined  you  were  amusing  your 
self  at  her  expense — whereas  I  now  know  that 
you  mean  nothing,  but  that  you  will  dance  with 
her  two  or  three  times  this  evening." 

"And,"  said  Hamilton,  warmly,  "and  that  I 
like  to  dance  with  her,  and  am  obliged  to  her  for 
wishing  to  dance  with  me.  I  mean  that,  too." 

"I  knew  you  did,"  cried  Crescenz,  triumph- 
antly. "  I  am  sure  I  always  understood  you 
better  than  Hildegarde,  notwithstanding  all  her 
cleverness  ;  but  from  the  time  that  Count  Zed- 
witz  told  her  that  you  were  already  quite  a  man 
of  the  world,  a — a — what  was  the  word,  Hilde- 
garde ?  " 

"  I  don't  remember  the  word,"  she  answered, 
calmly. 

"  It  meant,  I  remember,"  said  Crescenz,  "  a 
person  who  was  too  cold  and  calculating  for  his 
years — who  was  too  worldly  to  have  much  feel- 
ing." 

"That  was  unjust — that  was  saying  too  much," 
cried  Hamilton,  colouring. 

"So  Hildegarde  thought  also,  but  she  has 
always  insisted  that  you  are  proud  and  calculat- 


Cbe  TUfleDOtno  au  Groisteme.          223 


ing,  and  that  you  seek  to  amuse  yourself  with 
other  people's  feelings  and  weaknesses." 

"  Is  this  your  opinion  of  me  ?"  said  Hamilton, 
turning  to  Hildegarde. 

"  It  was,"  she  replied,  steadily. 

"  Oh,  Hildegarde  is  not  afraid  to  say  what  she 
thinks  ;  her  opinion  of  you  must  have  greatly 
changed,  if  it  be  what  you  would  like  to  hear." 

Hildegarde  moved  behind  her  sister  to  hide 
the  intense  blush  which  now  spread  over  her 
features,  and,  placing  her  hand  on  her  shoulder, 
perhaps  to  prevent  her  from  turning  round,  she 
said,  in  a  low  voice,  and  with  an  embarrassed 
manner,  "  Crescenz,  you  have  no  idea,  I  am  sure, 
how  you  are  paining  me  at  this  moment.  You 
are  forcing  me  to  confess,  that  I  have  not  in  this 
instance  acted  towards  you  with  my  usual  can- 
dour. I  have  the  very  highest  opinion  of  Mr. 
Hamilton." 

"  Well,  to  be  sure  !"  exclaimed  Crescenz,  while 
she  endeavoured  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  her  sister's 
face,  but  Hildegarde  moved  still  further  back, 
and  continued  :  "  That  I  disliked  him  at  first  is 
most  true,  more  on  your  account,  however,  than  on 
mine  ;  for  his  open  hostility  to  me  was  excusable 
—  his  covert  attentions  to  you  unpardonable," 

"  But,"  said  Crescenz,  who  seemed  altogether 
to  have  forgotten  Hamilton's  presence  ;  "but  when 
did  you  begin  to  think  differently  of  him  ?  " 

"  From  the  time  that  he  has  ceased  to  be  the 
subject  of  altercation  between  us,"  answered 


224  £be  fmtiate. 


Hildegarde,  bending  over  her  sister,  and  kissing 
her  forehead. 

"  But,  Hildegarde,"  cried  Crescenz,  turning 
round  with  unexpected  energy,  "  before  we  went 
to  the  ball,  do  you  remember,  when  I  told  you 
that  Lina  Berger  had  said  that  Mr.  Hamilton 
might  still  be  my  scha " 

Hildegarde's  two  hands  closed  over  her  mouth, 
and  the  word  was  stifled  in  utterance.  "  Good 
gracious  !  I  quite  forgot  he  was  still  here,"  she 
cried,  making  a  slight  effort  to  laugh,  and  then 
running  out  of  the  room. 

A  long  pause  ensued.  Hildegarde  began  to 
arrange  the  cups  and  saucers  on  a  tray,  until 
Hamilton,  without  looking  up,  asked  her  if  she 
could  remember  the  very  time  when  her  opinion 
of  him  had  changed. 

"  Perfectly  ;  it  was  the  night  of  Crescenz's 
quarrel  with  Major  Stultz.  Your  explanations 
by  moonlight  in  our  room  were  upright  and 
honourable." 

"  And  you  forgave  my  having  flirted  with  her 
at  Seon  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  and  I  forgive  your  having  tried  to  do 
the  same  with  me  here." 

"The  case  is  totally  different,"  began  Hamilton. 

"  There  is  some  difference,  I  allow,"  said  Hil- 
degarde ;  "  you  warned  me  so  well,  that  it  would 
have  been  inexcusable  my  not  understanding 
you — besides,  I  had  the  advantage  of  hearing 
from  Count  Zedwitz,  that  you  considered  your- 


Cbe  "WfleDWnc}  au  Srofsieme.          225 

self  at  liberty  to  act  as  you  pleased  after  having 
so  fairly  warned  me." 

"  Zedwitz's  love  for  you  made  him  forget  his 
friendship  for  me  altogether,"  said  Hamilton, 
with  some  irritation. 

"  I  do  not  blame  your  conduct  to  me,"  said 
Hildegarde  ;  "  you  wanted  to  improve  yourself 
in  German,  and  found  quarrelling  or  flirting  with 
me  the  most  exciting  method.  I  have  profited 
by  your  society  also,  for  I  have  not  only  learned 
to  pronounce  English,  but,"  she  added,  with  an 
arch  smile,  "I  begin  to  understand  something 
of  the  art  of  flirting,  too,  of  which,  I  do  assure 
you,  I  knew  nothing  when  our  acquaintance 
began." 

"  Oh,  do  not  say  that,"  cried  Hamilton  ;  "  you 
are  only  joking,  I  am  sure,  for  you  have  no  in- 
clination that  way,  but  your  sister  Crescenz — 

"  My  sister  Crescenz  knew  nothing  of  your 
propensities  that  way  at  Seon,  and,  therefore,  I 
blame  your  conduct  towards  her.  Your  love,  if 
you  ever  felt  any,  was  pardonable  ;  people  can- 
not help  that,  I  believe — but  your  endeavours  to 
make  her  dislike  Major  Stultz  were  quite  unpar- 
donable." 

"  I  acknowledge  it,"  said  Hamilton,  gravely, 
"  and  regret  it." 

"  That  fault  you  were  able  in  a  measure  to 
repair,"  continued  Hildegarde,  "but,  perhaps, 
you  are  not  aware  that  you  have  been  the  cause 
of  frequent  altercations  between  me  and  my  sis- 

VOL.  H.— IS 


226  Gbe  ITnitials. 


ter — and  that  almost  total  estrangement  has  taken 
place  between  us  in  consequence." 

"  And  is  that  my  fault,  too  ?  "  asked  Hamilton. 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  replied,  sorrowfully. 
"  Before  we  became  acquainted  with  you,  we 
never  had  the  most  trifling  difference  of  opinion 
— and  now  we  never  think  alike,  and  all  confid- 
ence is  at  an  end  !  " 

"You  take  the  matter  too  seriously,"  said 
Hamilton  ;  "  I  am  convinced  your  sister  is  not 
aware  of  your  estrangement." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  mistaken — "  began  Hil- 
degarde,  but  at  this  moment  Crescenz  entered 
the  room  ;  she  was  dressed  to  go  out,  and  asked 
her  sister  to  accompany  her. 

"  Let  us  be  off,"  said  Hildegarde,  "  we  have  no 
time  to  lose." 

"  May  I  go  with  you,"  asked  Hamilton. 

"  N — o,  I  rather  think  not,"  replied  Hilde- 
garde. 

"But  he  may  come  for  us  in  an  hour  or  so," 
said  Crescenz,  nodding  to  him  with  a  smile. 

"Tell  me  where  I  shall  find  you." 

Crescenz  coloured  and  hesitated.  "  In in 

my in  the in  Major  Stultz's  apart- 
ments." 

"  We  are  going  to  arrange  the  furniture,"  said 
Hildegarde,  closing  the  door. 

The  hour  had  scarcely  half  elapsed,  when 
Hamilton  found  himself  again  with  the  two  sis- 
ters ;  he  was  without  ceremony  desired  to  make 


ttbe  TICle&Dtnfl  au  Grotsteme.          227 


himself  useful,  and  immediately  employed  in 
assisting  to  arrange  a  press  which  was  to  be  filled 
with  linen  —  afterwards  the  chairs  and  tables 
were  moved  about  in  all  directions,  the  etaglre 
admired,  and  finally  they  adjourned  to  the  kitch- 
en, where  Crescenz,  with  amusing  exultation, 
exhibited,  one  by  one,  her  culinary  utensils  to 
Hamilton,  explaining  their  uses,  and  assuring 
him  that  though  her  mother  intended  to  give  her 
Walburg  as  servant,  she  was  determined  to  cook 
everything  herself.  While  she  was  yet  speaking, 
old  Hans  came  to  say  she  was  expected  home  — 
they  were  to  dine  earlier  than  usual,  and  the  hair- 
dresser was  expected  before  two  o'clock.  She 
became  very  pale,  and  after  having  dismissed  him, 
sat  down  on  a  little  wooden  stool,  and  began  to  cry. 
Hildegarde  silently  made  a  sign  to  Hamilton  to 
leave  them,  and  greatly  wondering  at  the  sudden 
change,  he  walked  back  to  the  drawing-room. 

On  glancing  round  at  the  furniture  which 
Crescenz  considered  so  splendid,  he  could  not 
help  smiling  at  the  frugality  of  her  taste.  Was 
he  to  be  envied  for  his  more  lavish  ideas  ?  As- 
suredly not.  Everything  in  this  world,  from  the 
diamond  to  the  first  thing  beyond  the  absolute 
necessaries  of  life,  is  valued  fictitiously.  The 
actual  worth  depends  on  the  mind  of  the  posses- 
sor, and  is  regulated  in  civilised  countries  by- 
unconsciously  made  comparisons  —  the  mental 
effort  losing  itself  in  the  result.  To  Crescenz 
the  thin  white  muslin  curtains  were  quite  as 


228  Cbe  flnitials. 


desirable,  even  on  a  cold  day  in  February,  as 
to  Hamilton  the  richest  silk — the  yellow  sofa, 
with  its  hard-stuffed  cushions  and  perpendicular 
sides,  was  intended  to  be  a  seat  of  honour  for  a 
guest,  and  was  not  adapted  for  reclining — even 
Hamilton  must  have  failed  in  discovering  a  pos- 
ture of  repose  upon  it,  and  he  had  a  most  decided 
talent  for  making  himself  comfortable.  The  six 
chairs  had  long  thin  legs,  but  the  wood  which 
had  been  spared  on  the  legs  had  been  con- 
scientiously bestowed  on  the  backs,  which  were 
tastefully  formed  to  represent  hearts.  A  table, 
two  chests  of  drawers,  and  the  etagere  completed 
the  furniture  of  the  room.  As  Hamilton  stood 
before  the  latter,  trying  to  admire  the  cups, 
saucers,  glasses,  and  bronze  candlesticks  arranged 
upon  it,  and  reflected  in  the  looking-glasses  which 
for  that  purpose  formed  the  back,  Hildegarde 
and  her  sister  entered  ;  Crescenz,  with  the  traces 
of  recent  tears  on  her  face,  nevertheless  looked 
complacently  around  her,  for  the  twentieth  time 
arranged  the  folds  of  the  curtains,  dusted  the 
table  with  her  handkerchief,  and  then  led  the 
way  down-stairs. 

At  five  o'clock,  a  party  of  about  sixteen  or 
eighteen  persons  assembled  in  the  private  chapel 
of  the  Frauen  Church  to  witness  the  marriage  of 
Major  Stultz  and  Crescenz  Rosenberg.  The 
bride  shed  no  tears,  she  looked  very  pretty  and 
very  shy — the  bridegroom  rather  stouter  and 
redder  than  usual.  Madame  Rosenberg  openly 


tlbe  tffle&dfng  au  Groteteme.         229 

expressed  her  satisfaction,  and  hoped  the  day 
was  not  far  distant  when  she  should  be  in  the 
same  place,  and  for  the  same  purpose,  on  Hilde- 
garde's  account.  Hildegarde  was  pale  and  silent, 
and  Mr.  Rosenberg  alone  showed  that  he  was 
endeavouring  to  control  his  emotion. 

On  their  return  home,  they  found  the  rooms 
lighted,  and  supper  prepared  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Madame  Lustig.  They  spent  three 
hours  at  table,  and  then  they  danced,  and  then 
they  ate,  and  then  they  danced  again  until  past 
midnight,  when,  to  conclude  the  festivity,  punch 
was  made.  Let  it  not  be  supposed  that  this  was, 
as  in  England,  a  simple  mixture  of  water,  sugar, 
and  Cognac,  or  rum.  In  Germany,  it  is  a  com- 
plicated business,  and  notwithstanding  the  pre- 
vious preparations  of  Madame  Lustig,  Madame 
Rosenberg,  and  three  or  four  matrons  accom- 
panied her  to  the  kitchen  to  assist  in  the  brewing. 
Each  had  a  different  receipt — and  a  separation  of 
the  parties  became  absolutely  necessary,  as  one 
proposed  using  black,  another  green  tea,  for  the 
mixture,  while  the  others  were  for  rice-water  or 
wine.  Hamilton,  who  had  become  a  sort  of 
authority  in  the  house  on  all  subjects,  was 
consulted,  but  on  his  venturing  to  suggest  pure 
water,  Madame  Rosenberg,  laughingly  pushed 
him  towards  the  drawing-room,  saying,  it  was 
evident  he  knew  nothing  about  the  matter — he 
might  dance  until  the  punch  was  ready  ! 

Most  excellent  it  proved  to  be,  however  con- 


230  ftbe  flnftiate. 


cocted,  when  at  length  Madame  Rosenberg 
appeared  with  a  soup-tureen  full,  and  dispensed 
it  ladlewise  to  the  surrounding  company,  who 
then  crowded  round  Major  Stultz  and  Crescent, 
in  order  to  clink  their  glasses,  and  partake  of 
a  colossal  sponge-cake,  which  the  latter  dis- 
tributed in  ample  portions. 

A  short  time  afterwards,  old  Hans  announced, 
"  The  carriage  for  Miss  Crescenz,"  and  she  re- 
tired with  evident  reluctance  to  put  on  her 
shawl.  The  whole  company  prepared  to  leave 
at  the  same  time,  and  were  soon  altogether  in 
the  corridor.  Crescenz  embraced  her  step-mother, 
and  somewhat  formally  thanked  her  for  her  kind- 
ness and  generosity.  She  held  out  her  hand  to 
Hamilton,  and  then  threw  herself  into  her  sister's 
arms,  and  burst  into  tears.  "  Come,  come,  Cres- 
cenz," cried  her  father,  with  an  attempt  at  gayety 
he  was  far  from  feeling,  "  this  will  never  do — 
you  are  taking  leave  as  if  seas  and  not  streets 
were  to  separate  us.  Come,"  and  he  drew  her 
arm  within  his,  and  led  her  down-stairs.  The 
others  followed,  all  but  Hildegarde,  and  after  a 
moment's  hesitation,  Hamilton.  They  returned 
to  the  deserted  drawing-room,  where  Hildegarde 
threw  open  the  window  and  leaned  out. 

They  soon  heard  Crescenz's  voice  saying 
cheerfully,  "  Good-night,  Lina — good-night,  papa 
— good-night,  Hildegarde." 

"  Good-night,"  answered  her  sister  from  the 
window,  and  the  carriage  drove  off. 


a  Gbange.  231 

"  Well,  have  we  not  spent  a  merry  evening  ! ;' 
cried  Madame  Rosenberg,  triumphantly,  as  she 
almost  breathlessly  entered  the  room  a  few 
minutes  afterwards.  "  This  has  been  a  gay 
wedding  after  all,  you  see,  Franz." 

"  It  has,"  he  answered,  sinking  dejectedly  on  the 
sofa  ;  "  I  am  quite  provoked  with  myself  for  feel- 
ing so  low-spirited.  I  believe  I  am  not  well." 

"  Ah,  bah,"  cried  his  wife,  laughing,  "  if  you 
had  been  ill,  you  could  not  have  supped  as  you 
have  done.  Perhaps,  however,  you  have  eaten 
too  much  fish,  or  turkey,  or  ham  ?  At  all  events, 
I  am  sure  you  are  tired  and  sleepy,  so  you  may 
go  to  bed,  while  we  put  everything  in  order 
again." 

Mr.  Rosenberg,  as  usual,  followed  his  wife's 
advice  without  contradiction.  He  held  Hamil- 
ton's hand  for  a  moinsnt,  as  if  he  intended  to 
say  something  more  than  the  good-night  which 
was  scarcely  audible. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

A    CHANGE. 

T  T  AMILTON  was  wakened  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning  by  Hildegarde  rushing  in- 
to his  room,  and  exclaiming,  "  For  heaven's  sake, 
get  up — get  up,  and  come  to  my  father — I  am 


232  $be  ffnittals. 


afraid  he  has  got  the  cholera.  You  have  seen 
people  ill,  and  know  the  symptoms.  Oh,  come 
— we  do  not  know  what  to  do  !  " 

"  Send  for  the  Doctor,"  cried  Hamilton.  "  I 
shall  be  with  you  in  a  moment." 

On  entering  Mr.  Rosenberg's  room,  Hamilton 
found  Hildegarde  standing  beside  his  bed,  while 
Madame  Rosenberg  was  walking  up  and  down 
the  room,  gesticulating  like  a  person  in  a  state  of 
mental  derangement. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Hamilton,"  she  exclaimed,  the 
moment  she  perceived  him,  "  tell  me,  only  tell 
me  that  Franz  has  not  got  the  cholera,  and  I 
shall  be  grateful  as  long  as  I  live !  It  would 
be  too  hard  were  he  to  have  it  now,  when  people 
say  there  is  nothing  more  to  fear.  Last  week, 
only  one  man — quite  a  decrepit  old  man,  died  of 
it  ?  I  am  sure  Franz  has  only  eaten  too  much 
supper  yesterday  evening.  Don't  you  think  so  ? 
Say  that  he  has  not  got  the  cholera,  and  I  shall 
believe  you  implicitly." 

But  Hamilton  could  not  say  so,  nor  unfortu- 
nately Dr.  Berger  either  ;  the  case  was  at  once 
pronounced  a  bad  one,  and,  in  a  fearfully  short 
time,  quite  hopeless.  Consternation  and  dismay 
pervaded  the  whole  household,  Avhen,  on  the 
morning  of  the  third  day,  poor  Mr.  Rosenberg 
was  no  more.  Completely  overpowered  by  the 
suddenness  of  her  own  bereavement,  Madame 
Rosenberg  retired  to  her  room,  unable  to  speak 
to  anyone. 


a  Cbange.  233 

Major  Stultz  immediately  undertook  the  neces- 
sary arrangements  for  the  funeral,  and  gave 
directions  for  the  printing  of  circular  letters  to 
announce  the  death  to  distant  relations  and 
friends,  a  custom  which  saves  the  mourning 
family  the  performance  of  a  most  painful  duty. 
Hamilton  took  the  two  little  boys  to  their  sister 
Crescenz.  Her  married  life  had  begun  in 
anxiety  and  sorrow,  and  Hamilton  felt  some 
natural  trepidation  at  seeing  her  again,  under 
such  painful  circumstances  ;  but  her  grief  was  of 
the  most  tranquil  description,  the  tears  flowed 
unrestrained  over  her  round  rosy  cheeks,  and 
when  they  ceased  left  not  a  trace  behind.  Al- 
though but  a  few  days  had  elapsed  since  she  had 
left  her  family,  a  not  quite  willing  bride,  she  had 
already  begun  to  repeat  her  husband's  words  as 
oracles.  Hamilton  half  smiled  as  he  heard  her  : 
"Thank  goodness,  that  she  at  least  was  pro- 
vided for,  and  had  a  home  !  She  hoped  poor 
dear  Hildegarde  would  not  now  begin  to  repent 
having  refused  such  a  man  as  Major  Stultz,  the 
more  so,  as  that  refusal  precluded  the  possibility 
of  her  ever  residing  with  them  !" 

Poor  Hildegarde  !  She  had  not  bestowed  one 
thought,  much  less  a  regret,  on  Major  Stultz. 
Hamilton,  on  his  return,  found  her  sitting  in  her 
room,  perfectly  motionless,  with  parched  lips, 
and  eyes  devoid  of  tears.  He  hoped  she  had  at 
length  begun  to  think  of  herself — recommended 
her  to  try  to  eat  something,  and  go  to  bed. 


234  £be  Ifnttials. 


She  looked  at  him  as  if  his  words  had  not 
conveyed  the  slightest  sense  to  her  mind — walked 
uneasily  up  and  down  the  room  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  then  said,  with  a  shudder,  "  I  am  so 
afraid  of  his  being  buried  alive  !  Do  you  think 
he  was  quite — quite  dead  ?  If  I  could  only  see 
him  once  more." 

"  And  who  could  be  so  cruel  as  to  prevent 
you  ? "  exclaimed  Hamilton.  "  If  it  be  any  relief 
to  your  mind,  I  will  remain  in  his  room  to-night  ?  " 

"  In  his  room  !  "  she  cried,  clasping  her  hands 
convulsively  :  he  is  no  longer  there — they  have 
taken  him 'away  to  the  deadhouse." 

"  The  deadhouse  !     Where  is  that  ? " 

"  In  the  burying-ground.  They  have  watches 
there,  I  believe,  but  still  he  is  among  all  the 
frightful  corpses,  and  should  he  come  to  himself 
— imagine  how  horrible  !  You  will  go  with  me — 
you  will  let  me  see  him  once  more  ?  I  cannot 
else  believe  that  he  is  really  dead  !  " 

"  I  will  go  with  you  there,  or  anywhere  you 
please,"  said  Hamilton,  completely  overcome  by 
her  evident  wretchedness. 

The  weather  was  unusually  inclement ;  a  storm 
of  falling  sleet  almost  blinded  them  as  they 
waded  through  the  half-melted  snow  which  lay 
on  the  road  outside  the  town  ;  but  Hildegarde 
seemed  unconscious  of  all  these  impediments, 
hurried  on  silently  until  she  reached  the  church- 
yard, where  she  turned  to  a  building,  which 
had  escaped  Hamilton's  observation  on  a  former 


a  Cbange.  235 

occasion,  and  walked  directly  up  to  a  row  of  glass 
doors,  and  stood  as  if  transfixed  with  horror. 
Hamilton  was  in  a  moment  at  her  side,  and  it 
must  be  confessed  that  to  those  who  were  not 
inured  to  the  various  aspects  of  death,  the  scene 
which  presented  itself  was  shocking  in  the  ex- 
treme. On  tables  in  the  interior  a  long  row  of 
open  coffins  were  arranged,  their  ghastly  tenants 
dressed  with  a  care  that  seemed  to  mock  the 
solemnity  of  death  and  interment.  A  young 
officer  was  in  uniform,  as  if  about  to  appear  on 
parade — an  elderly  gentleman  dressed  for  a  ball 
— a  young  girl  whose  half-open  mouth  and  eyes 
showed  the  struggle  with  which  soul  and  body 
had  parted,  was  crowned  with  flowers,  and  a  long 
white  veil  lay  in  white  folds  over  her  bare  arms 
and  white  dress,  reaching  almost  to  the  satin 
shoes  which  covered  the  stiff,  cold  feet  as  they 
protruded  beyond  the  coffin  in  hideous  rigidity. 

Mr.  Rosenberg  was  now  scarcely  recognisable  ; 
his  livid  features  were  contracted,  and  not  a  trace 
remained  of  that  beauty  for  which  he  had  been 
so  remarkable.  Hamilton  turned  away,  but 
again  his  eyes  encountered  death.  Another  and 
lighter  room  was  filled  with  the  corpses  of  poorer 
persons  and  children  ;  the  latter  indeed  seemed 
to  sleep,  and  on  them  the  wreaths  of  flowers  did 
not  appear  misplaced. 

Hildegarde  seemed  unable  to  tear  herself  from 
the  spot,  nor  did  Hamilton  feel  disposed  to  dis- 
turb her  until  he  perceived  a  number  of  persons 


236  Gbe  Initiate. 


hurrying  to  and  fro,  and  torches  glimmering  in 
the  churchyard  ;  he  then  asked  a  woman,  who 
appeared  with  a  bunch  of  keys  in  her  hand,  if 
there  was  to  be  a  funeral. 

"  I  believe  the  Countess  Raimund  is  to  be 
buried  this  evening,"  she  answered. 

"  Not  one  of  these  ?  "  cried  Hamilton,  pointing 
to  the  place  where  Hildegarde  stood. 

"  Yes  ;  just  there  beside  the  gentleman  who 
died  of  cholera — that  old  lady  in  black  satin  with 
her  mouth  wide  open — it  was  shameful  negli- 
gence of  those  about  her  not  to  close  it  before 
the  jaw  stiffened." 

"  Hildegarde,"  said  Hamilton,  drawing  her 
arm  within  his,  "  you  must  now  leave  this  place. 
There  is  to  be  a  funeral." 

"  I  know — I  heard,"  she  said,  allowing  herself 
to  be  led  away,  with  her  head  still  turned  tow- 
ards the  chamber  of  death.  "  The  only  prece- 
dence which  the  Countess  Raimund  can  now 
claim  of  my  father,"  she  added,  bitterly,  "  is  that 
of  first  descending  into  the  grave  !  How  absurd 
all  pride  appears  when  standing  at  the  threshold 
of  a  charnel-house  !  " 

"  Very  true,"  said  Hamilton,  "  but  how  seldom 
the  proud — how  seldom  anyone  thinks  of  such  a 
place.  Where  are  you  going  now  ?  " 

"  To  my  mother's  grave." 

He  made  no  opposition,  for  he  hoped  that 
some  sudden  recollection  would  put  an  end  to 
the  unnatural  calmness  of  her  manner,  and  was, 


a  Change.  237 

for  this  reason,  not  sorry  to  perceive  that  the 
grave-digger  had  already  been  at  work ;  the 
place  was  measured,  and  some  shovelfuls  of  earth 
had  been  thrown  over  the  grave  she  came  to  visit. 

She  seemed  for  a  few  minutes  to  pray,  and  then 
sat  down  beside  the  stone  cross,  and  began 
assiduously  to  arrange  the  leaves  of  the  still  green, 
though  withered,  ivy  wreaths  which  she  had 
placed  on  it  in  November. 

"  I  am  trying  your  patience  unpardonably," 
she  observed  at  length,  rising  from  her  cheerless 
occupation,  "  and  it  is  all  to  no  purpose." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Hamilton. 

"  I  expected  to  feel  something  like  sorrow  for 
my  father's  loss.  You  will  be  shocked  when  I 
tell  you  that  I  cannot  feel  anything  resembling  it. 
Before  I  came  here  I  thought  my  odious  apathy 
was  caused  by  doubts  of  the  reality  of  his  death 
— those  doubts  are  all  removed — I  know  that  he  is 
dead  ;  that  in  a  few  hours  he  will  be  in  the  grave, 
and  moulder  beside  my  mother's  skeleton,  and 
I  do  not,  cannot  feel  anything  like  grief  !  " 

"  You  are  too  much  stunned  by  the  sudden- 
ness," began  Hamilton. 

"  Not  so,"  said  Hildegarde,  quietly,  "  I  assure 
you  I  never  felt  more  perfectly  contented  than 
at  this  moment  ;  were  it  not  that  I  shudder  at 
my  total  want  of  sensibility." 

'  If  it  be  insensibility,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  but 
you  have  so  much  decision,  so  much  firmness  of 
character,  that " 


238  Gbe  Unitials. 


"No,  no,"  she  cried,  hastily  interrupting  him  ; 
"  this  is  not  firmness.  Do  not  imagine  that  I 
feel  emotion  which  I  am  endeavouring  to  con- 
ceal, or  suppressing  tears  ready  to  flow  ;  I  only 
feel  an  almost  irresistible  inclination  to  walk  or 
run  without  stopping  !  " 

"  I  am  surprised  that  you  do  not  find  yourself 
completely  exhausted,"  said  Hamilton.  "  It 
would  certainly  be  more  natural,  when  one  takes 
into  consideration  that  you  have  not  slept  for 
three  nights,  or  eaten  anything  for  nearly  three 
days !  " 

"  And  you  also  have  passed  three  sleepless 
nights,"  said  Hildegarde,  "  and  without  the  hopes 
and  fears  which  made  the  want  of  rest  impercep- 
tible to  me.  I  ought  to  have  remembered  that 
sooner." 

"  I  was  not  thinking  of  myself,"  cried  Hamil- 
ton. "And  your  hopes  and  fears,"  he  added,  in 
a  lower  voice,  "  I  have  most  truly  participated. 
Will  you  never  believe  that  your  joys  are  my 
joys,  your  sorrows  my  sorrows  ? " 

He  waited  in  vain  for  an  answer  ;  Hildegarde 
leaned  heavily  on  his  arm,  and  breathed  quickly  ; 
he  at  length  caught  a  glimpse  of  her  face,  and 
was  so  shocked  at  the  convulsive  workings  of  her 
features  that  he  beckoned  to  one  of  the  numer- 
ous hackney  coachmen  returning  from  the  church- 
yard, and  silently  placed  his  unresisting  companion 
in  the  carriage.  She  sighed  so  deeply,  and  then 
gasped  so  fearfully  for  breath,  that  he  let  down 


n  Cbangc.  239 

all  the  windows,  and  experienced  the  most  heart- 
felt pleasure  when  at  length  she  burst  into  a 
passion  of  tears. 

She  wept  unrestrainedly  until  they  reached 
home,  but,  even  on  the  stairs  as  they  ascended, 
Hamilton  perceived  a  return  of  her  former  unnat- 
urally composed  manner. 

During  the  next  day  Madame  Rosenberg  was 
almost  constantly  surrounded  by  her  friends  and 
acquaintance.  Towards  evening  Crescenz  drew 
her  sister  aside,  and  whispered  :  "  Oh,  my  dear 
Hildegarde,  this  is  an  irreparable  loss  for  you  !  " 

"  Irreparable  indeed  !  "  said  Hildegarde,  mov- 
ing her  head  dejectedly  ;  "  I  wish  it  had  pleased 
God  to  let  me  die  instead  of  my  father — few 
would  have  mourned  for  me  !  " 

"  I  'm  sure,  dear,  I  don't  know  what  is  to  be- 
come of  you  now  !  I  can't  bear  to  think  of  it, 
but  I  suppose  you  will  have  fo  apply  to  Made- 
moiselle Hortense  to  get  you  a  situation  as  gov- 
erness ;  you  know  she  promised  to  do  so  whenever 
you  wished  it " 

"  I  know,"  said  Hildegarde,  rubbing  her  fore- 
head with  her  hand,  and  biting  her  under  lip 
with  an  expression  of  great  distress.  "  Let  us 
talk  about  that  some  other  time — I  cannot  think 
yet." 

"  It  was  Lina  Berger  who  talked  about  it ;  she 
said  she  was  sure  that  mamma  would  not  propose 
your  remaining  with  her,  and  Major  Stultz  says 
that " 


240  Gbe  "ffnitials. 


"  Crescenz,"  said  Hildegarde  with  some  im- 
patience, "  say  what  you  please  to  me  from  your- 
self, I  am  ready  to  hear  you  ;  but  do  not  torture 
me  now  with  the  opinions  of  either  Lina  Berger 
or  Major  Stultz." 

"  Well,  to  be  sure  !  And  how  often  have 
you  said  that  you  considered  him  a  sensible 
man ! " 

"  I  have  not  changed  my  opinion,  but  as  I 
know  he  can  feel  no  sort  of  interest  in  anything 
that  concerns  me,  I  do  not  wish  to  hear  what  he 
has  said." 

"  Ah,  I  see  Mr.  Hamilton  has  been  telling  you 
— he  smiled  so  strangely  when  I  was  speaking  to 
him  yesterday,  that  I  was  sure  he  would  tell  you 
everything — but  indeed  I  wished  to  have  had  you 
with  me  directly  ;  it  was  my  first  thought,  but 
Blazius  said  that  what  occurred  at — at  Seon — 
you  know,  made  it  quite  impossible  !  " 

"  Mr.  Hamilton  told  me  nothing  of  all  this," 
said  Hildegarde.  "I  thank  you  for  your  kind 
intentions,  dear  Crescenz  ;  I  can  imagine  that 
Major  Stultz's  refusal  to  comply  with  your  wishes 
has  pained  you  ;  but  -you  may  set  your  mind  at 
rest,  for  I  feel  even  more  intensely  than  he  can, 
the  impossibility  of  my  ever  becoming  an  inmate 
of  his  Rouse.  " 

"  Well,"  said  Crescenz,  apparently  greatly 
relieved  ;  "  I  'm  sure  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say 
so,  for  though  he  talked  very  sensibly,  and  all  that, 
this  morning,  I  could  not  help  crying,  and  was 


H  Cbangc.  241 

quite  uncomfortable  at  the  idea  of  speaking  to 
you  about  it ;  I  was  afraid  you  might  think  that 
now  I  am  married,  I  love  you  less." 

"  Four  days  is  too  short  a  time  to  work  such  a 
change,  I  hope,"  said  Hildegarde,  with  a  melan- 
choly smile  ;  then  suddenly  seizing  her  sister's 
hands,  she  exclaimed,  "  Oh,  Crescenz,  love  me  ! 
Love  me  still — as  much  as  you  can — think  how  I 
shall  miss  my  father's  affection  !  " 

"  Very  true,  indeed,  as  Blazius  says ;  my 
father  bestowed  his  whole  affection  on  you,  and 
quite  overlooked  me  !  " 

Hildegarde  gazed  at  her  sister  for  a  moment  in 
silence,  and  then  turned  away  with  tearful  eyes. 
She  saw  that  Crescenz  would  soon  be  lost  to  her 

• 

forever.  Major  Stultz  already  directed  her 
thoughts  and  words,  as  completely  as  she  herself 
had  done  when  they  were  at  school  together. 
She  watched  her  returning  to  their  step-mother's 
room,  and  then  walked  slowly  towards  the  door 
leading  to  the  passage.  Hamilton  was  standing 
at  the  stove — had  heard  the  sister's  conversation, 
and  filled  with  compassion  for  her  deserted  posi- 
tion, he  seized  her  hand  as  she  passed,  and 
passionately  pressed  it  to  his  lips  without  speak- 
ing. When  she  raised  her  heavy  eyelids  to  look 
at  him,  she  saw  that  his  eyes  were  suffused  with 
tears. 

"  I — thank  you — for  your  sympathy,"  she 
murmured  with  trembling  lips,  as  she  withdrew 
her  hand,  and  hurried  out  of  the  room, 


242  Gbe  initials. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE  ARRANGEMENT. 

A  FTER  the  interment  of  Mr.  Rosenberg,  some 
*"•  time  passed  over  in  melancholy  monotony. 
Madame  Rosenberg  employed  herself  principally 
in  the  inspection  and  arrangement  of  papers ; 
Hildegarde  wandered  about  the  house,  endeavour- 
ing in  an  absent  manner  to  make  herself  useful. 
She  even  tried  to  assist  the  new  cook,  but  her 
efforts  were  so  entirely  unsuccessful,  that  her 
mother  begged  she  would  desist,  as  she  had  no 
sort  of  talent  in  that  line. 

Mr.  Rosenberg  had  been  a  kind  husband  and 
an  affectionate  father  ;  Hamilton  had  invariably 
found  him  an  agreeable  companion,  but  his  con- 
stant occupation  in  his  office,  and  an  inveterate 
habit  of  going  out  every  evening,  had  made  his 
society  an  occurrence  of  such  rarity,  that  Hamil- 
ton in  a  short  time  became  quite  resigned  to  his 
loss  ;  in  fact,  but  for  the  mourning  dresses,  Hil- 
degarde's  unconquerable  dejection,  and  the  never 
failing  tears  of  Madame  Rosenberg,  as  she  cir- 
cumstantially related  to  every  visitor  the  history 
of  her  husband's  illness  and  death,  he  would 
soon  have  forgotten  that  he  had  ever  existed. 
He  attended  the  college  lectures,  studied  German 
with  his  friend  Biedermann,  rode,  walked,  in 
short,  continued  all  his  former  occupations,  with 
the  exception  of  his  quarrels  with  Hildegarde — 


Brrangement.  243 


these  had  now  entirely  ceased  ;  he  obeyed  her 
slightest  directions,  anticipated  her  wishes  with  a 
sort  of  quiet  devotion  so  completely  directed  to 
her  alone,  but  so  unobtrusive,that  Madame  Rosen- 
berg failed  to  observe  more  than  that  they  had 
learned  to  live  peaceably  in  the  same  house  to- 
gether, and  praised  them  both  more  than  once 
for  having  ceased  their  silly  and  useless  quarrels. 

One  day,  about  the  beginning  of  April,  Hilde- 
garde  recalled  him  just  as  he  was  about  to  leave 
the  house,  saying  that  her  mother  wished  to  speak 
to  him  ;  he  laughingly  demanded  if  the  probably 
not  very  important  communication  could  not  be 
deferred  to  another  day,  as  he  had  promised  to 
meet  some  friends  at  Tambosi's  in  the  Hofgarten. 
Hildegarde  gravely  shook  her  head,  and  said  she 
believed  her  mother  was  waiting  for  him. 

"What  a  bore  !  "  he  exclaimed,  striding  along 
the  passage  ;  "  I  suppose  I  shall  be  detained  half 
an  hour  to  hear  a  lecture  about  having  forgotten 
to  extinguish  the  candles  last  night,  or  having 
burned  my  boots  on  the  stove  !  I  really  wish, 
Hildegarde,  you  would  give  your  new  cook  in- 
structions about  my  room  —  it  is  not  at  all  neces- 
sary that  your  mother  should  be  informed  every 
time  an  accident  occurs  there." 

Madame  Rosenberg  was  sitting  at  an  old- 
fashioned  scrutoire  furnished  with  innumerable 
diminutive  secret  and  apparent  drawers  ;  she 
had  a  small  packet  of  bills  beside  her,  and 
various  heaps  of  money  before  her.  When  Ham- 


244  Ube  flnitials. 


ilton  entered,  she  immediately  moved  back  her 
chair,  and  pointed  to  another  beside  her,  which 
she  wished  him  to  occupy.  Now  that  Hamilton 
had  already  become  a  little  spoiled  by  Madame 
Rosenberg's  indulgence,  praises,  and  deference 
to  his  opinion,  he  had  learned  to  like  her  and 
even  overlook  her  vulgarity  ;  but  in  proportion 
as  his  affection  had  increased  his  respect  had 
decreased,  and  like  the  spoiled  son  of  a  weak 
mother,  he  now  stood  leaning  against  the  door, 
refusing  with  an  impatient  gesture  the  offered 
chair,  and  murmuring  some  unintelligible  words 
about  business  and  disappointments. 

"  I  shall  not  detain  you  long,"  said  Madame 
Rosenberg,  drawing  out  of  her  pocket  an  enor- 
mous linen  handkerchief,  and  wiping  away  two 
large  tears,  which  were  obtrusively  rolling  down 
her  cheeks.  "  I  ought  to  have  spoken  to  you 
long  ago,  but  I  have  been  thinking  over  and  over 
the  means  of  rendering  my  communication  less 
disagreeable." 

"  So,"  cried  Hamilton,  closing  the  door,  and 
advancing  towards  her,  "  so  it  is  not  about  the 
boots  you  are  going  to  lecture  me  ?  " 

"  No,"  she  replied,  half  laughing,  "  though  I 
must  say " 

"  I  know  all  you  are  going  to  say,"  cried  Ham- 
ilton, laughing,  "  extravagant  habits,  horrible 
smell,  danger  of  burning  the  house,  and  all  that ! 
Suppose  it  said — I  am  very  contrite  indeed,  and 
promise  not  to  burn  either  shirt  or  boots  for 


G be  Brrangement.  245 

three  weeks  to  come,  and  not  at  all  when  the 
weather  is  warmer  and  the  stove  is  not  heated." 

"  In  three  weeks,  and  when  the  weather  is 
warmer,  we  shall  be  too  far  apart  for  me  either 
to  lecture  or  detain  you  in  my  room  against  your 
will  !  " 

"  My  dear  Madame  Rosenberg,"  exclaimed 
Hamilton,  springing  towards  her,  and  not  only 
seating  himself  on  the  previously  disdained  chair, 
but  drawing  it  so  close  to  hers  that  she  involun- 
tarily drew  back  ;  "  my  dear  Madame  Rosenberg, 
you  surely  do  not  mean  that  I  must  leave  you  ?  " 

"  I  do,  indeed,"  she  answered,  nodding  her 
head  slowly  and  despondingly,  and  again  the 
monstrous  handkerchief  was  put  in  requisition. 
"  I  'm  sure,"  she  added,  somewhat  surprised  at 
the  varying  emotions  depicted  on  his  counte- 
nance, "  I  'm  sure  it  's  very  kind  of  you  to  be  so 
sorry  to  leave  us — I  thought  the  loss  was  wholly 
on  our  side." 

"  I  have  spent  seven  of  the  happiest  months  of 
my  life  in  your  house,"  began  Hamilton. 

"  Six  months  and  one  week,"  said  Madame 
Rosenberg,  interrupting  him  ;  "  you  were  three 
weeks  at  Havard's,  you  know,  and  when  we  are 
settling  our  account  the  three  weeks  must  be 
deducted,  for,  as  poor  dear  Franz  said " 

"  I  should  like  to  know  your  intentions  with 
respect  to  Hildegarde,"  said  Hamilton,  who  had 
not  heard  one  word  of  the  explanation. 

"  Hildegarde  goes  with  me  to  the  Iron  Works, 


246  Sbe  flnitiale. 


as  people  now  call  them  ;  poor  Franz  was  so  un- 
easy about  her  on  his  death-bed,  that  I  promised 
him  she  should  never  leave  my  house  excepting 
with  her  own  free  will,  and  always  have  the 
power  of  returning  to  it  when  she  chose,  and  that 
she  should  receive  on  her  marriage  a  trousseau  in 
every  respect  like  her  sister's." 

"  This  promise  must  have  been  a  great  relief 
to  his  mind,"  observed  Hamilton. 

"  It  was,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg,  and  the 
tears  flowed  fast  as  she  added  :  "  I  would  have 
given  him  everything  I  had  in  the  world  to  have 
made  him  contented  in  his  last  moments.  We 
lived  so  happily  together  during  the  twelve  years 
which  we  passed  in  this  house.  I  cannot  remain 
here  any  longer — the  house — the  furniture — • 
Munich  itself  has  become  odious  to  me.  I  in- 
tend to  return  to  my  father.  Fritz  will  be  made 
a  gentleman,  as  his  father  wished  it,  at  the  mili- 
tary school.  Gustle  must  be  his  grandfather's 
successor  at  the  Iron  Works ;  he  has,  at  all 
events,  no  great  love  of  learning  ;  and  Peppy  is 
too  young  to  be  taken  into  consideration  at 
present." 

"  Take  me  with  you  to  the  Iron  Works,"  said 
Hamilton,  abruptly. 

Madame  Rosenberg  looked  at  him  as  if  she  did 
not  quite  comprehend. 

"  Take  me  with  you  to  the  Iron  Works,"  he 
repeated. 

She  shook  her  head.      "  It  is  no  place  for  you," 


arrangement.  247 


she  said,  steadily,  "  nor  is  my  father,  though  an 
excellent  man,  a  companion  for  you.  Your  pa- 
rents would  be  dissatisfied,  and  with  reason,  were 
you  to  bury  yourself  in  an  insignificant  village, 
just  so  many  miles  from  Munich  as  to  prevent 
your  being  able  to  avail  yourself  of  the  advan- 
tages which  you  told  me  you  had  found  here  for 
the  completion  of  your  education." 

Hamilton  felt  the  justness  of  her  remark,  and 
did  not  attempt  to  contradict  it  ;  he  had,  how- 
ever, no  intention  of  quitting  a  family  of  which 
Hildegarde  was  still  to  be  a  member  ;  nor  did  he 
much  concern  himself  about  the  satisfaction  or 
dissatisfaction  of  his  parents  just  at  that  moment. 
He  understood  Madame  Rosenberg  perfectly, 
and  changed  his  tactics.  Throwing  himself  back 
in  his  chair,  he  said,  with  apparent  resignation  : 
"  Well,  I  suppose  I  must  spend  the  ensuing  five 
months  at  Havard's,  that  's  all  !  " 

"  At  Havard's  !  What  an  idea  !  "  exclaimed 
Madame  Rosenberg  ;  "  to  be  giving  suppers  and 
drinking  champagne  every  night  !  I  never  heard 
of  anything  so  absurd  !  ' 

"  Why,  where  else  can  I  go  ?  I  cannot  well 
take  a  lodging  and  engage  a  cook  and  housemaid 
for  myself,  can  I  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Madame  Rosenberg,  half  laugh- 
ing, "  not  exactly  that  —  but  a  lodging,  or  a  family 
might  be  found.  Suppose,  for  instance,  that 
Madame  Berger  should  have  proposed  taking 
you,  in  case  the  Doctor  have  no  objection,  eh  ?  " 


248  Cbe  Ifnitials. 


"I  am  sure  I  have  none,"  said  Hamilton, 
vainly  endeavouring  to  suppress  a  smile  as  he 
added,  "  she  is  one  of  the  prettiest  little  women  I 
ever  saw,  and  with  time  and  opportunity  I  have 
no  doubt  I  shall  fall  desperately  in  love  with  her. 
You  will  not  be  there  to  sustain  me  with  your 
good  advice — and — a — but  at  least  you  will  be 
answerable  for  the  consequences,  as  you  will  have 
led  me  into  the  temptation  !  " 

"  Good  heavens  !  Not  for  all  the  world  would 
I  take  such  a  responsibility  upon  myself  !  "  cried 
Madame  Rosenberg,  with  a  look  of  amazement ; 
"Lina,  too,  so  giddy  and  thoughtless,  and  the 
Doctor  never  at  home  !  It  would  never  do,  I  see. 
But  who  would  have  imagined  that  you  would 
think  of  such  a  thing  at  your  age  !  " 

"  I  am  just  at  the  age  to  act  more  from  impulse 
than  reason,  and  I  consider  you  too  much  my 
friend  not  to  speak  candidly  to  you.  If  Major 
Stultz  were  not  so  insufferably  jealous,  you  could 
make  me  over  to  Crescenz — my  regard  for  her  is 
really  of  the  most  blameless  description,  and  will 
never  be  otherwise." 

"  Oh,  the  Major  would  never  listen  to  such  a 
proposal." 

"  Then  I  have  no  alternative  but  Havard's — 
Havard's  or  your  house,"  he  continued,  taking 
her  large  hard  hand  and  pressing  it  fervently  ; 
"  dear  Madame  Rosenberg,  let  me  go  with  you  ;  I 
have  a  sort  of  presentiment  that  it  is  the  only 
means  of  keeping  me  out  of  mischief  ;  besides,  I 


ftbe  arrangement.  249 

can  ride  or  drive  into  Munich  two  or  three  times 
a  week." 

"  But  I  have  no  room  for  you,"  she  cried,  with 
a  look  of  distress  ;  for  the  earnestness  of  his 
manner  had  begun  to  move  her. 

"  Youmustmake  room  forme,"urged  Hamilton. 

"  And  as  to  your  horses  and  Hans " 

"  Oh,  I  can  easily  find  quarters  for  them  in  the 
neighbourhood." 

"  You  will  have  to  sleep  in  a  room  without  a 
stove " 

"  I  don't  want  a  stove  in  summer." 

"  Well  then,"  she  said  hesitatingly,  "If  you  think 
that  you  can  be  satisfied  with  the  accommodation 
which  I  have  at  my  disposal,  you  can  accompany 
us  to  the  country.  Should  our  manner  of  living, 
or  what  I  fear  more,  my  father,  not  suit  you,  you 
can  leave  us,  you  know  ;  we  will  part  friends  at 
all  events." 

"  Don't  talk  or  think  of  parting,"  cried  Hamil- 
ton, gayly.  "  I  am  sure  I  shall  find  your  father 
a  most  worthy  person — we  shall  get  on  famously 
together.  When  do  you  leave  ?  It  will  be  quite 
delightful  to  breathe  the  country  air.  I  assure 
you  I  feel  already  impatient  to  be  off." 

"  On  the  24th  I  purpose  leaving  Munich,"  said 
Madame  Rosenberg,  once  more  drawing  her  chair 
towards  her  scrutoire,  and  beginning  to  count  her 
little  heaps  of  money. 

"  Are  those  Iron  Works  romantically  situated  ?  " 
asked  Hamilton. 


250  Gbe  flnitials. 


"  N — o.  They  are  on  the  high  road  at  the 
end  of  the  village  ;  but  there  is  a  fine  old  oak 
wood  quite  close  to  us." 

"Ah!  an  oak  wood,"  repeated  Hamilton, 
thoughtfully. 

"  We  have  also  a  garden  and  orchard  behind 
the  house  ;  the  smoke  from  the  forge  indeed 
spoils  the  flowers  greatly,  but  there  is  an  arbour 
under  the  trees  where  we  can  breakfast,  and 
drink  coffee  after  dinner,  in  summer — the  arbour 
is  quite  covered  with  roses  and  honeysuckles." 

"  Ah,  that  is  delightful  ! "  cried  Hamilton,  in 
vision  imagining  himself  sitting  with  Hildegarde 
in  the  rose  and  honeysuckle  arbour. 

"  But  you  are  forgetting  your  appointment," 
observed  Madame  Rosenberg,  who  had  been  in 
vain  endeavouring  to  correct  a  fault  in  her 
reckoning. 

"  A  civil  way  of  telling  me  to  leave  you  in 
peace,"  said  Hamilton,  laughing. 

"  Not  at  all,  I  assure  you.  If  you  have  really 
no  appointment,  I  shall  be  glad  to  talk  over  my 
plans  with  you." 

"  I  had  an  appointment,"  he  said,  looking  at  his 
watch,  "  for  which  I  am  too  late.  I  have  another, 
for  which  I  am  a  few  minutes  too  early." 

"A  few  minutes,"  repeated  Madame  Rosen- 
berg. "  That  will  never  do  for  me.  In  your  '  few 
minutes '  I  can  only  inform  you  that  you  must 
go  for  a  few  days  at  least  to  Havard's,  until  I 
have  got  everything  in  order.  Hildegarde  and 


Hrrangement.  251 


the  children  I  intend  to  pack  off  the  day  after 
to-morrow." 

"  Oh,  pack  me  off,  too,  with  Hil  -  with  the 
children,"  cried  Hamilton,  eagerly.  "  I  wish  you 
would  consider  me  really  as  one  of  them." 

"  Well,  I  am  sure  I  have  always  done  so  since 
you  have  been  with  me.  Poor  Franz  often  said 
I  took  great  liberties  with  you." 

"  I  cannot  remember  anything  of  the  kind." 

"  Why,  have  you  forgotten  the  Sunday  Fritz 
broke  the  window  in  the  drawing-room,  when 
you  were  teaching  him  to  box  ?  " 

"  I  remember  you  boxed  his  ears,  poor  fellow, 
which  he  certainly  did  not  deserve,  as  he  was 
not  really  the  cause  of  the  mischief.  It  was 
I  who  pushed  him  against  the  window,  and,  if 
I  recollect  right,  both  Mr.  Rosenberg  and  I 
protested  —  " 

"  Yes,  you  protested,  and  that  made  me  still 
more  angry  ;  but  if  you  don't  remember  what  I 
said  to  you,  so  much  the  better.  Franz  said  he 
believed  you  never  heard  it,  as  you  were  laugh- 
ing with  Madame  Berger,  and  I  was  afterwards 
very  sorry  for  having  said  so  much,  especially 
about  the  rough  English  plays." 

Hamilton  smiled.  "  I  suppose,"  he  said  turn- 
ing towards  the  door,  "  Hans  may  pack  up  my 
chattels  ;  you  will  send  me  to  the  country  with 
the  children." 

"  No,  no,  no  ;  "  cried  Madame  Rosenberg, 
hastily,  "  that  will  never  do  ;  I  must  write  to  my 


252  tlbe  ITmtials. 


father  and  explain.  If  he  knew  the  sort  of  per- 
son you  are — he  would  never  consent  to  your 
becoming  an  inmate  of  his  house  !  " 

"  Am  I,  then,  so  very  disagreeable  ? "  asked 
Hamilton. 

"  Quite  the  contrary — but  you  do  not  under- 
stand my  father.  In  short,  it  is  better  to  tell 
you  at  once — why  should  I  be  ashamed  to  say 
it  ?  He  was  a  common  journeyman  smith — so 
extremely  industrious,  of  such  enormous  strength, 
and  with  so  much  talent  for  mechanics,  that  he 
made  himself  not  only  useful,  but  altogether  in- 
dispensable to  my  grandfather,  who,  rather  than 
lose  him,  gave  him  his  daughter  in  marriage. 
Our  forge  became  in  time  an  iron  work,  and  he 
is  now  the  richest  man  far  and  wide.  To  see 
him,  you  would  not  suppose  so  ;  he  is  neither 

changed  in  manner  nor  dress "  Madame 

Rosenberg  paused. 

"  Well  ?  "  said  Hamilton. 

"  Well !  "  she  repeated,  a  little  impatiently. 
"  It  is  plain  enough,  I  think,  that  such  a  man 
will  not  suit  you — or  you  suit  him." 

"  I  don't  know  that,"  said  Hamilton.  "  A  man 
who  has  turned  a  forge  into  an  iron  work,  and 
who,  from  having  nothing,  has  become  rich  by 
honest  means,  must  be  possessed  of  good  sense 
and  good  talents,  too.  As  to  his  appearance  or 
dress — a  man's  coat •" 

"  That  "s  just  what  I  am  afraid  of,"  cried 
Madame  Rosenberg. 


arrangement.  253 


"  Do  you  think  I  attach  much  importance  to  a 
coat  ?  I  assure  you  that  I  am  determined  to  like 
your  father  with  and  without  a  coat." 

"  I  will  write  him  that,  and  it  will  at  once  put 
an  end  to  our  difficulties,  for  if  I  say  that  he  will 
never  imagine  you  are  so  fastidious  -  " 

"  I  don't  quite  understand  -  "  said  Hamil- 
ton, with  a  puzzled  air. 

"  It  would  never  do  —  you  see  —  were  we  to  in- 
convenience him,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg,  "  or 
force  him  to  change  his  mode  of  life.  He  likes 
to  work  and  dine  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  and  is  not 
over  particular  how  his  meals  are  served  —  this  I 
can  change,  perhaps,  but  against  the  shirt  sleeves 
I  can  do  nothing,  and  I  know  it  is  very  vulgar  ; 
Franz  told  me  so  often  enough." 

"  I  have  no  sort  of  objection  to  his  shirt 
sleeves,"  said  Hamilton,  "  provided  he  allow  me 
to  wear  a  coat.  What  matter  !  If  this  be  the 
reason  why  I  should  not  go  with  Hildegarde  and 
the  children  the  day  after  to-morrow,  I  think 
you  may  waive  all  ceremony  and  tell  your  father 
that  I  belong  to  the  family.  You  have  made  an 
agreement  to  keep  me  for  six  months  longer." 

"  This  is  a  good  idea,"  said  Madame  Rosen- 
berg, laughing.  "  I  will  write  to  him  to-morrow, 
and  I  dare  say  I  shall  have  an  answer  in  a  day 
or  two." 

Hamilton  perceived  he  had  gained  every  con- 
cession he  could  reasonably  demand,  and  left  the 
room  quietly  and  thoughtfully. 


254  tCbe  flnitials. 


Hildegarde  had  prepared  her  brothers  for 
their  afternoon  walk,  and  was  waiting  with  some 
indications  of  impatience  for  his  appearance. 
He  had  been  forbidden  to  walk  with  her,  but 
had  established  a  sort  of  right  to  be  informed 
where  she  intended  to  go — that  he  should  ride 
near  her,  or  at  least  become  visible  during  her 
walk,  was  a  sort  of  tacit  agreement. 

"The  Nymphenburg  road,"  cried  Gustle, 
springing  towards  him.  "  May  I  have  one  of 
your  canes  ? " 

"  And  may  I,  too,  have  one  to  ride  upon  ?  " 
asked  Peppy. 

"  Yes,"  said  Hamilton,  "  Hildegarde  will  show 
you  those  you  may  take." 

"  Oh,  come,  Hildegarde,"  cried  Gustle,  pulling 
her  rather  roughly  ;  "  come  and  choose  the  canes 
for  us.  I  must  have  the  little  black  one  with 
the  horse's  head  on  it." 

But  Hildegarde  showed  no  inclination  to  move. 
"  You  were  a  long  time  in  my  mother's  room," 
she  said  at  length,  with  some  embarrassment. 

"  Not  longer  than  was  necessary  to  make  her 
consent  to  take  me  with  her  to  the  country.  Oh, 
Hildegarde,  what  pleasant  walks  we  shall  have  in 
the  oak  wood,  and  how  much  happier  we  shall 
be  there  than  here  !  Were  you  ever  at  these 
Iron  Works  ? " 

"  Not  since  I  was  a  child,"  answered  Hilde- 
garde, smiling  as  she  had  not  smiled  since  her 
father's  death  ;  "  I  remember  the  noise  of  the 


Gbe  Difficulty  "Removes.  255 

hammers  was  incessant,  and  the  house  shook  a 
good  deal,  and  the  white  window-curtains  were 
very  soon  soiled." 

"We  shall  get  used  to  the  hammers,  I  dare 
say,"  said  Hamilton,  laughing.  "  As  to  the  house 
shaking,  that  must  be  imagination  ;  and  the  win- 
dow-curtains can  be  easily  changed,  you  know." 

"  But  mamma  said  nothing  in  the  world  would 
induce  her  to  take  you  with  us.  How  did  you 
persuade  her  ? " 

"  I  can  tell  you  all  that  when  I  return  home. 
Excuse  me  as  well  as  you  can,  should  I  be  late 
for  supper.  Good-by." 

"  Where  are  you  going  ? "  asked  Hildegarde. 

He  whispered  a  few  words,  and  then  hurried 
down-stairs. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE    DIFFICULTY    REMOVED. 

IT  was  late  in  the  evening,  and  Hamilton  had 
not  yet  returned.  Madame  Rosenberg  began 
to  get  a  little  uneasy,  and  very  impatient,  when 
fortunately  Madame  Berger  arrived  to  complain 
bitterly  of  her  husband,  who  had  declined  re- 
ceiving Mr.  Hamilton  as  an  inmate  of  -his  house 
on  any  terms.  "  He  says  I  am  too  young — and 
he  is  too  often  absent — and  people  might  talk  ! 
Did  you  ever  hear  anything  so  absurd  ? " 


256  Cbe  Unitials. 


"I  believe  he  is  right,"  said  Madame  Rosen- 
berg, "  you  are  too  young 

"  I  wonder  it  never  occurred  to  you  that  your 
step-daughters  were  still  younger  !"  cried  Madame 
Berger,  glancing  towards  Hildegarde,  who  was 
sitting  at  the  window  looking  into  the  street. 

"  The  case  is  quite  different,"  said  Madame 
Rosenberg  ;  "  we  are  a  large  family,  and  where 
the  father  and  mother  are  in  a  house — 

"  Pshaw  !  "  cried  Madame  Berger,  impatiently  ; 
"  Cressy  liked  him,  for  all  that,  better  than  she 
will  ever  like  her  husband,  I  suspect !  " 

"  Who  told  you  that  ?  "  cried  Madame  Rosen- 
berg, with  a  look  of  amazement. 

"My  own  eyes,"  replied  Madame  Berger,  with 
a  slight  laugh  ;  "  and  not  Hildegarde,"  she  added, 
in  answer  to  a  look  of  suspicion  which  Madame 
Rosenberg  had  cast  on  her  step-daughter.  "  Be- 
lieve me,  neither  the  presence  of  father  nor 
mother  can  prevent  these  things." 

"  Crescenz  is  most  happily  married,"  began 
Madame  Rosenberg. 

"  So  am  I — but  I  preferred  Theodor  Bieder- 
mann  to  the  Doctor,  as  you  well  know.  You  need 
not  look  so  astonished  at  hearing  me  speak  the 
truth,  Hildegarde.  I  vow  one  would  almost  im- 
agine you  heard  this  for  the  first  time  !  As  if 
Cressy  had  not  betrayed  me  long  ago,  not  to 
mention  Mademoiselle  Hortense,  who  of  course 
used  me  as  a  scarecrow  for  the  whole  school  ! 
Excepting,  perhaps,  the  dear,  good  old  Doctor," 


Difficulty  IRemoveO.  257 


she  continued,  "  there  is  not  one  of  my  acquaint- 
ances who  does  not  know  that  I  nearly  cried  my 
eyes  out  about  Theodor." 

"And  is  it  possible  you  have  not  told  Dr. 
Berger  ?  "  cried  Hildegarde,  turning  quickly 
round.  "  Did  you  not  feel  bound  in  honour  -  " 

"  No,  mademoiselle,"  replied  Madame  Berger, 
sharply  ;  "  I  did  not  feel  myself  bound  in  honour 
deliberately  to  destroy  my  domestic  peace  —  I 
leave  it  to  you  to  make  such  a  confession  when 
you  are  going  to  be  married,  if  you  think  it  neces- 
sary !  " 

"  I  am  afraid  Hildegarde  is  not  likely  to  be 
married  at  all,  now  that  we  are  going  to  live  at 
the  Iron  Works,"  sighed  Madame  Rosenberg. 
"  The  only  neighbour  we  have  is  the  Forster,  and 
he  -  " 

"  Lord  bless  you  !  "  cried  Madame  Berger, 
"  Hildegarde  would  never  look  at  a  Forster  if  he 
were  not  by  chance  a  count  or  baron.  Had  Mr. 
Hamilton  only  been  a  Milor,  she  would  never 
have  thought  of  quarrelling  with  him,  I  can  tell 
you  !  " 

"  Caroline  !  —  madame  !  "  exclaimed  Hilde- 
garde, with  a  vehemence  that  made  Madame 
Berger  retreat  a  few  steps  from  the  window,  while 
she  cried,  with  affected  fear,  <ir  Good  heavens  !  I 
had  no  idea  you  could  get  into  a  passion  about 
him  !  And  here  he  is,"  she  added,  springing 
again  to  the  window  as  she  heard  the  sound  of  a 
horse's  hoofs  on  the  pavement  ;  "  here  he  is,  and 

VOL.  H.—  17 


258  Gbe  Initials. 


I  suspect  there  are  few  Milors  to  be  compared  to 
him  ;  he  certainly  is  the  handsomest  creature  I 
ever  saw !  An  ideal  of  an  Englishman  !  Un 
amour  I " 

"  Lina  !  "  said  Madame  Rosenberg,  reproach- 
fully, "  you  must  forgive  my  observing  that  this 
language  is  not  proper  for  a  young  married 
woman." 

"  Ah,  bah  !  as  if  I  were  serious  !  Have  you 
forgotten  that  you  used  to  say  I  always  spoke 
without  thinking  ?  Now,  Hildegarde  there  thinks 
without  speaking,  perhaps  !  " 

"  Not  of  Mr.  Hamilton,"  said  Madame  Rosen- 
berg, "  for  she  did  not  even  look  out  of  the  win- 
dow at  your  amour,  or  whatever  you  call  him. 
Hildegarde,  go  and  tell  him  we  have  waited  nearly 
two  hours  for  him,  that  supper  is  ready,  and  that 
I  beg  he  will  come  just  as  he  is,  and  not  make 
an  evening  toilet  for  once  in  a  way." 

She  had  not  time  to  deliver  her  message,  for 
Hamilton  entered  the  room  with  unusual  precipi- 
tation, and  handed  Madame  Rosenberg  an  enor- 
mous, ill-folded,  long-wafered  letter. 

"  From  my  father  !  "  she  exclaimed,  with  sur- 
prise. 

"  Yes  ;  he  has  no  sort  of  objection  to  my 
accompanying  you  to  the  Iron  Works  ;  he  says 
you  may  take  me  instead  of  Fritz." 

"  A  good  idea,"  cried  Madame  Berger,  as  she 
came  from  behind  the  window-curtain  ;  "  it  is, 
however,  Mr.  Hamilton's,  and  not  your  father's." 


Difficulty  "Removed.  259 


"It  is  in  the  letter,  however,"  said  Madame 
Rosenberg,  eagerly  perusing  the  inelegant  speci- 
men of  penmanship  ;  "  but  I  do  not  see  any 
thing  about  Hans  or  the  horses." 

"  Oh,  I  said  nothing  about  them,  they  can  go 
to  the  inn." 

"  But  we  have  a  stable  -  "  began  Madame 
Rosenberg. 

"  I  know  you  have,  and  a  pair  of  stout  greys  in 
it.  Your  father  has  promised  me  a  lift  into  Munich 
every  Saturday,  when  he  sends  in  his  iron." 

"  On  the  cart  ?  "  asked  Madame  Berger. 

"  Yes,"  said  Hamilton,  "  there  are  places  for 
two  on  the  seat  in  front.  The  offer  was  very  civil, 
considering  the  shortness  of  our  acquaintance." 

"  It  is  a  proof,  at  all  events,  that  he  has  taken 
a  great  fancy  to  you,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg, 
with  an  air  of  great  satisfaction  ;  "  and  as  you  wish 
to  go  with  the  children,  Hildegarde  must  arrange 
your  room  for  you.  Do  you  hear,  Hildegarde  ?  " 

"  Yes,  mamma." 

"  I  must  give  you  a  green  curtain  to  hang  up 
before  the  alcove  where  the  bedstead  is  to  be 
put,  and  it  will  be  nearly  as  good  as  two  rooms. 
You  must  make  new  muslin  curtains  for  the  win- 
dows as  soon  as  possible." 

"  Your  grandfather  made  most  particular  in- 
quiries about  you,"  observed  Hamilton,  turning 
to  Hildegarde. 

"  He  is  not  my  grandfather  ;  he  is  no  relation 
whatever  of  mine,"  she  answered  in  French, 


260  abe  •ffnitlals. 


while  her  colour  heightened  rapidly,  and  seemed 
to  be  reflected  in  Hamilton's  face,  which  became 
crimson. 

"I  don't  understand  French,"  said  Madame 
Rosenberg,  looking  at  them  alternately  ;  "  but  I 
think  I  can  guess  ;  however,  it  is  no  matter — 
read  this  letter,  Hildegarde  ;  in  it  you  will  find 
everything,  and  more  than  you  could  have  heard 
from  Mr.  Hamilton.  My  father  is  willing  to  act 
towards  you  as  a  relation  ;  do  not,  by  an  ill-timed 
exhibition  of  pride,  turn  his  kindly  feelings 
towards  you  into  dislike." 

She  received  the  letter  and  the  not  undeserved 
rebuke  in  silence ;  while  Hamilton,  to  divert 
Madame  Berger's  attention,  began  a  description 
of  his  meeting  with  Mr.  Eisenmann,  of  their  dis- 
course, and  supper. 

"  It  must  have  been  delicious,  the  whole  scene," 
cried  Madame  Berger  ;  "  I  shall  pay  you  a  visit 
at  the  Iron  Works  the  very  first  day  the  Doctor 
can  let  me  have  the  horses." 

"  Pray  bring  the  Doctor  with  you  when  you 
come,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg,  unconsciously 
glancing  towards  Hamilton. 

Madame  Berger  saw  the  glance,  observed  that 
Hamilton  laughed,  and  immediately  inquired  the 
cause.  Madame  Rosenberg  refused  to  tell  her, 
and  she  appealed  to  Hamilton,  who  immediately, 
with  the  most  perfect  composure,  and  without 
the  slightest  reserve,  repeated  all  the  part  of  their 
morning  conversation  which  related  to  her.  She 
seemed  to  enjoy  the  recital  and  Madame  Rosen- 


Uron  Works.  261 


berg's  face  of  horror  equally.  "  One  thing  is 
certain,"  she  said,  when  he  had  ended,  "  had  you 
been  so  many  months  in  the  same  house  with 
me,  as  you  have  been  with  Hildegarde,  we  should 
have  -  " 

"  You  seem  altogether  to  forget  the  Doctor," 
said  Madame  Rosenberg,  interrupting  her,  almost 
angrily. 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  I  sometimes  do  forget  that 
I  am  married  ;  but  Mr.  Hamilton  understands 
badinage  perfectly,  so  you  need  not  look  so 
shocked  at  my  bavardage." 

"  I  wish  you  would  speak  German,"  said 
Madame  Rosenberg,  fidgeting  on  her  chair  ; 
"you  use  so  many  French  words,  that  I  cannot 
understand  the  half  of  what  you  say." 

"  I  believe  I  had  better  go  home,"  cried 
Madame  Berger,  good-humouredly.  "  Allow 
me  to  hope  you  will  be  civiler  to  me  when  I 
visit  you  in  the  country  !  Bon  soir." 

"  Good-night,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg,  dryly, 
without  making  the  slightest  effort  to  detain  her. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

THE    IRON    WORKS. 

IN  a  few  days,  Hildegarde,  the  children,  and 

Hamilton  were  established  at  the  Iron  Works  ; 

her  recollections    proved  tolerably  correct,  the 

noise  of  the  hammers  was  almost  incessant,  not 


262  abe  ifnttials. 


even  ceasing  during  the  night,  and  as  the  house 
adjoined  the  iron  works,  it  shook  at  times  until 
the  windows  rattled.  Hamilton  did  not  much 
notice  the  white  curtains,  but  from  pure  sym- 
pathy with  Hildegarde,  he  regretted  the  smuts 
which  fell,  flake-like,  in  the  garden,  and  seemed 
destined  to  rob  the  coming  flowers  of  half  their 
beauty.  Old  Mr.  Eisenmann  was  not  a  little 
proud  of  his  garden,  and  great  was  his  satisfac- 
tion when  he  found  Hildegarde  willing  to  assist 
him  in  cultivating  it.  The  plants  which  most 
interested  Hamilton  were  the  numerous  cactuses 
which  filled  all  the  windows  in  the  front  of  the 
house,  and  whose  brilliant  flowers  already  made 
every  passer-by  stop  to  gaze  at  them.  Nothing 
could  equal  the  old  man's  delight  on  such  occa- 
sions ;  if  the  weather  were  warm  enough,  he 
generally  opened  the  window  and  related  how  he 
had  managed  his  plants  during  the  winter,  in 
order  to  make  them  blow  so  early,  and  it  had 
been  Hamilton's  unaffected  admiration  of  these 
cactuses,  as  he  had  walked  up  to  the  house, 
which  had  formed  the  commencement  of  their 
acquaintance. 

During  the  fortnight  which  preceded  Madame 
Rosenberg's  arrival,  Hamilton  enjoyed  the  most 
unrestrained  intercourse  with  Hildegarde  ;  he 
watched  her  making  the  coffee  in  the  morning, 
sat  beside  her  at  the  open  window  looking  into 
the  garden,  and  accompanied  her  in  her  walks 
with  her  brothers  in  the  oak  wood  ;  here  there 


ttbe  Iron  IKUorfcs.  263 

was  a  small  chapel  in  which  she  daily  prayed, 
while  Hamilton,  leaning  against  the  entrance, 
stared  absently  at  the  votive  offerings  hung 
around,  or  endeavoured  to  decipher  the  old 
German  prayers,  and  texts  of  Scripture,  with 
which  their  inhuman  illustrations  were  pasted  on 
the  walls.  The  two  boys  generally  scampered 
about,  but  joined  them  when  they  sat  down  on 
one  of  the  numerous  benches  under  the  trees. 
Hamilton  usually  held  a  book  in  his  hand,  out  of 
which  he  sometimes  read  a  few  lines,  especially 
when  any  obtrusive  wanderers  made  their  appear- 
ance, though  on  week-days,  pilgrims  to  the  little 
chapel,  who  afterwards  came  to  beg  a  few 
kreutzers,  were  the  only  interrupters  of  their 
studies,  meditations,  or  conversation,  as  the  case 
may  have  been. 

"  I  wish,"  he  said,  as  they  loitered  through  the 
fields  on  their  way  home,  the  evening  before 
Madame  Rosenberg's  arrival,  "  I  wish  I  were 
certain  of  spending  the  next  six  months  as  I 
have  done  the  last  fortnight.  I  cannot  tell  you 
how  I  have  enjoyed  myself.  Much  as  I  like 
your  step-mother,  and  notwithstanding  all  her 
kindness  and  indulgence  to  me,  I  dread  her 
coming  more  than  I  can  express.  Everything 
will  be  changed,  and  any  change  must  diminish 
my  happiness." 

"  You  have  nothing  to  apprehend  but  a  removal 
of  the  furniture  in  your  room,"  replied  Hilde- 
garde,  with  a  quiet  smile  ;  "  but  I  cannot  expect 


264  Cbe  ITnfttats. 


any  longer  to  eat  the  bread  of  idleness  ;  I  must 
learn  to  cook,  and  wash,  and  iron  ? " 

"  You  will  never  be  able  to  endure  such  work," 
exclaimed  Hamilton. 

"  I  shall  try  it  for  a  few  months  at  all  events, 
and  as  long  as  you  are  here,"  she  added,  frankly, 
"  I  think  I  can  bear  it,  as  your  society  and  friend- 
ship will  be  an  indemnity  for  most  annoyances." 

Hamilton's  expressions  of  gratitude  she  inter- 
rupted by  continuing,  "  After  all,  what  shall  I  do 
more  than  girls  in  my  rank  of  life  must  always  do  ? 
Even  Crescenz,  since  her  marriage,  has  learned  to 
iron.  Did  you  not  see  her  ironing  Major  Stultz's 
shirts  when  we  went  to  take  leave  of  her  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  he  is  her  husband  ;  and  it  was  a  mere 
ostentation  of  usefulness  on  her  part,  for  your 
mother  told  me  she  need  not  do  anything  of  the 
kind  if  she  did  not  wish  it.  Crescenz,  however, 
does  not  appear  misplaced  when  so  employed, 
but  you " 

"  Strictly  speaking,  I  am  not  more  misplaced 
than  she  is.  We  have  both  received  an  educa- 
tion beyond  our  station  in  the  world.  I  have, 
perhaps,  profited  more  by  the  instruction  be- 
stowed on  me  than  she  has  ;  but  you  must  allow 
that  she  has  shown  infinitely  more  capacity  for 
the  necessary  duties  of  life." 

"  If  it  be  her  duty  to  iron  her  husband's 
shirts,"  answered  Hamilton,  laughing,  "  I  must 
say  she  performs  it  in  the  most  charming  manner 
possible.  Nothing  could  be  more  coquettish 


flron  TJGlorfcs.  265 


than  the  black  silk  handkerchief  twisted  round 
her  head  to  prevent  her  from  feeling  the  draught 
of  air,  or  the  sleeves  tucked  up  just  enough  to 
exhibit  the  dimples  in  her  white  arms  !  I  must 
say,  Crescenz  is  perfectly  aware  of  all  her  per- 
sonal advantages  !  " 

"  And  who  is  not  aware  of  them  ?  "  said  Hil- 
degarde,  "  or  rather  who  does  not  overrate  them  ?  " 

"  You  do  not,  most  certainly  !  "  cried  Hamil- 
ton. "  I  am  convinced  you  do  not  think  -  " 

"  That  I  am  handsome  ?  "  said  Hildegarde, 
interrupting  him  quietly  ;  "  I  know  it  perfectly 
well.  You  are  shocked  at  my  candour,"  she 
added,  after  a  pause,  on  observing  that  he  con- 
tinued silent  ;  "  it  would  have  been  more  proper 
to  have  disclaimed  —  but,  after  all,  what  worth 
have  regular  features,  when  they  are  inanimate  ? 
And  mine  are  so,  I  know." 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  I  have 
never  known  anyone  whose  features  have  ex- 
pressed so  many  various  emotions  as  yours  have 
during  the  few  months  of  our  acquaintance." 

"  That  I  have  felt  more  than  during  the  whole 
of  my  previous  life,  is  most  certain,"  she  said, 
thoughtfully  ;  "  It  seems,  then,  I  have  not  been 
able  to  acquire  that  composure  of  mind  and 
feature  which  Mademoiselle  Hortense  so  often 
told  me  would  be  essentially  necessary  for  my 
happiness." 

"  I  am  rather  inclined  to  hate  that  Mademois- 
elle Hortense  without  ever  having  seen  her," 


266  abe  IFnitfals. 


cried  Hamilton  ;  "  I  think  she  wished  to  make 
an  actress  of  you  !  " 

"  No,  she  wished  to  make  a  good  governess  of 
me,  as  my  step-mother  desired  her,  and  she  saw 
that  my  pride  and  violence  of  temper  would 
prove  serious  obstacles.  My  gratitude  to  her  is 
unbounded  for  all  her  care  and  attention  during 
so  many  years.  She  is  my  only  hope  for  the 
future  too — on  her  I  depend  to  find  me  some 
respectable  situation,  should  my  residence  here 
become  uncomfortable." 

"  Have  you  ever  seriously  thought  of  taking 
such  a  step  ? " 

"  I  believe  I  have  talked  more  than  thought  on 
the  subject.  One  thing  I  have  resolved  upon, 
and  that  is,  to  go  as  far  as  possible  from  home." 

"  Should  you  like  to  go  to  a  foreign  country  ? " 

"  Foreign,  as  you  understand  the  word — no, 
but  I  am  not  likely  to  have  the  power  of  choos- 
ing. Mademoiselle  Hortense's  connections  are 
all  in  Alsace,  and  my  destination  will  probably  be 
Strasburg." 

They  walked  on  in  silence,  each  absorbed  in 
thoughts  of  no  very  agreeable  description.  As 
they  drew  near  the  house,  Mr.  Eisenmann  came 
to  meet  them,  accompanied  by  the  Forster,  who 
had  begun  to  drop  in  regularly  every  evening,  to 
drink  a  glass  of  beer  with  the  old  man.  Hamil- 
ton greatly  approved  of  the  arrangement,  as  it 
left  him  at  liberty  to  talk  unreservedly  in  Eng- 
lish to  Hildegarde,  who,  however,  would  have 


fron  Worfts.  267 


preferred  his  absence,  from  the  time  that  Hamil- 
ton had  made  her  observe  that  his  eyes  were 
fixed  upon  her  incessantly,  and  followed  her 
wherever  she  went. 

"  This  is  the  last  evening  you  will  be  my  house- 
keeper, Hildegarde,"  said  Mr.  Eisenmann,  as  she 
pushed  his  arm-chair  to  the  table,  and  placed  his 
newspaper,  which  seemed  to  contain  nothing  but 
advertisements,  beside  the  small  brass  lamp.  "  I 
can  give  you  a  good  character,  girl  ;  you  have  a 
way  with  you  that  has  made  the  people  here  obey 
you  at  once.  She  will  make  a  good  wife  one  of 
these  days  —  eh,  Mr.  Hamilton  ?  Eh,  Forster 
Weidmann  ?  " 

Hildegarde  smiled,  and  continued  to  perform 
her  different  evening  duties.  She  gave  her 
brothers  their  bread-and-milk,  assisted  the  awk- 
ward maid-servant  to  arrange  the  supper-table, 
made  the  salad,  carved  the  fowl,  and  presented 
each  his  plate  with  such  quiet  unobtrusiveness, 
that  her  motions  were  only  apparent  by  the  rust- 
ling of  the  large  bunch  of  keys  she  was  to  resign 
to  her  mother  the  next  day,  but  which  now  hung 
glittering  in  steel  chains  at  her  girdle  a  la 
chatelaine. 

Hamilton  had  been  agreeably  surprised  at 
finding  Mr.  Eisenmann  by  no  means  so  illiterate 
as  he  had  expected.  On  every  subject  relating 
to  his  trade  he  was  perfectly  well  informed,  and 
in  other  respects  his  opinions  were  those  of  a 
shrewd,  intelligent  man.  He  spent  the  greater 


268 


part  of  each  day  at  the  Iron  Works,  his  hands 
thrust  into  his  pockets,  a  short  and  very  brown 
meerschaum  pipe  between  his  teeth,  and  his  eyes 
following  the  movements  of  his  workmen  ;  and 
sometimes,  when  provoked  by  their  want  of  skill, 
or  too  dilatory  movements,  after  a  few  impatient 
ejaculations,  throwing  aside  his  coat  and  working 
with  them.  In  his  house,  too,  Hamilton  had  now 
frequently  seen  him  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  without 
feeling  any  of  the  horror  expected  by  Madame 
Rosenberg  ;  in  the  evening  he  generally  mounted 
a  black  silk  nightcap,  and  when  he  had  finished 
smoking  his  pipe  and  drinking  his  tankard  of 
beer,  and  the  Forster  had  taken  leave,  overcome 
by  the  fatigue  of  early  rising  and  his  daily  exer- 
tions, he  usually  fell  fast  asleep,  leaving  his  two 
companions  to  whisper,  until  the  Scharwald  clock 
struck  nine,  when  wakening  without  any  apparent 
effort,  he  sent  them  to  bed,  and  retired  for  the 
night  himself. 

This  evening — this  last  evening,  as  they  chose 
to  call  it — the  Forster  showed  no  inclination  to 
move,  and  his  eyes  now  seemed  to  follow  the 
motions  of  Hildegarde's  lips,  as  she  murmured 
an  occasional  sentence  to  Hamilton  ;  he  tried  in 
vain  to  join  in  their  conversation,  spoke  of  bring- 
ing his  zither,  proposed  teaching  them  to  play  it, 
if  they  desired,  and  not  finding  either  of  them 
disposed  to  appreciate  either  his  conversational 
or  musical  talents,  he  turned  to  the  now  drowsy 
old  man,  whom  he  contrived  to  waken  com- 


<Ibe  fron  Works.  269 

pletely  by  some  reference  to  the  eternal  "  good 
old  times." 

"  Pray,  Hildegarde,  turn  away  from  that  man," 
said  Hamilton,  bending  down  to  her,  as  she  sat 
in  one  of  the  children's  low  chairs  beside  him  ; 
"  as  long  as  he  can  look  at  you  he  finds  it  im- 
possible to  tear  himself  away — it  is  absolute 
cruelty — he  is  depriving  Mr.  Eisenmann  of  his 
sleep  this  evening.  Unpardonably  inconsider- 
ate !  "  he  added,  almost  angrily. 

Hildegarde,  without  an  attempt  at  deprecation, 
lit  a  taper,  and  retiring  to  the  other  end  of  the 
room,  where  there  was  a  thin-legged  rickety 
table,  she  took  from  a  cupboard  the  large  house 
account-book,  a  hideous  leaden  ink-bottle,  and  a 
well-worn  pen,  and  began  to  add  and  subtract 
with  a  diligence  which  would  have  put  Hamil- 
ton's temper  to  the  proof,  had  not  the  Forster 
almost  directly  stood  up  to  take  leave  ;  but  the 
old  man  was  now  quite  roused,  and,  moreover, 
disposed  to  be  loquacious  ;  he  let  his  visitor 
stand  before  him  in  the  awkward  posture  of  a 
shy  man,  wishing  to  get  away,  and  not  knowing 
how  to  manage  it,  while  he  observed  :  "  When 
people  say  the  old  times  were  good,  and  the 
present  times  are  bad,  I  always  feel  obliged  to 
contradict  them.  No  offence,  good  Mr.  Weid- 
mann,  but  in  my  youth  I  have  often  heard  just 
the  same  thing  said,  and  in  those  times  as  in  these, 
the  greater  part  of  mankind  had  to  earn  their 
bread  in  '  the  sweat  of  their  face.'  " 


270  Cbe  Unitials. 


"  I  suppose  so,  sir,"  said  the  Forster,  trying  to 
move,  but  restrained  by  the  old  man's  continuing 
to  address  him.  "  I  wish  you  a  good-night." 

"All  I  know  is,"  resumed  Mr.  Eisenmann, 
addressing  Hamilton,  "  that  Bavaria,  of  all  the 
countries  I  have  seen,  appears  to  me  to  be  the 
happiest.  Of  England  I  know  nothing,  except- 
ing the  manufacturing  towns " 

"  When  were  you  there  ?  "  asked  Hamilton. 

"  Soon  after  the  peace — I  went  there  on  busi- 
ness." 

"  And  what  did  you  think  of  England  ?  I 
should  like  to  know  what  impression  was  made 
on  you  by  our  great  manufacturing  districts  ?" 

"  I  saw  much  to  admire,  but  nothing  to  make 
me  think  the  English  a  happier  people  than  the 
Bavarians,"  replied  Mr.  Eisenmann,  with  a  low, 
satisfied  laugh.  "  I  would  rather  have  been  born 
a  smith  here  than  there,  for,  besides  the  instruc- 
tions which  I  received  for  nothing  in  my  child- 
hood, I  had,  during  my  youth,  my  Sunday  and 
holiday  pleasures,  my  merry  dances,  and  my  pot 
of  beer  in  good  company,  and  with  good  music, 
too,  of  an  evening — and  a  lot  of  other  things  of 
which  your  English  workmen  had  not  an  idea 
when  I  was  amongst  them.  It  may  be  different 
now " 

"  I  am  afraid  it  is  not,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  but 
surely  our  manufactories  must  have  astonished 
you  !  " 

"  I  should  have  understood  very  little  of  my 


flron  Works.  271 


business  if  they  had  not,"  replied  Mr.  Eisenmann. 
"  In  this  respect  England  is  a  giantess,  but,  like 
a  giantess,  ought  to  be  admired  at  a  distance  and 
not  examined  in  detail." 

"  I  perceive,"  said  Hamilton,  "  that  the  people 
with  whom  you  associated  have  made  an  un- 
pleasant impression  on  you." 

"  Perhaps  so,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  was 
a  correct  one.  I  mixed  with  people  whose  habits 
and  mode  of  life  are,  and  will  ever  remain,  totally 
unknown  to  you  —  it  was  probably  before  you  were 
born,  too,  and  may,  as  I  said  before,  be  quite 
different  now  —  at  all  events  it  is  too  late  to  talk 
more  about  it  to-night  ;  I  must  look  after  my 
workmen,  and  then  it  will  be  time  to  go  to  bed." 
He  lit  his  candle  and  walked  towards  an  office 
which  communicated  with  the  Iron  Works. 

"  What  a  different  person  Mr.  Eisenmann  is 
from  what  I  expected  !  "  observed  Hildegarde. 

"  He  is  different  from  what  I  expected,  too," 
answered  Hamilton. 

"  I  am  beginning  to  have  quite  a  respect  for 
him,"  she  continued,  "in  short,  I  think  him  a 
remarkably  clever  man." 

"  You  are  always  in  extremes,  Hildegarde  — 
first  you  unnecessarily  underrated,  and  now  you 
overrate  him  !  " 

"  I  suspect,"  said  Hildegarde,  laughing,  "  you 
are  annoyed  at  his  not  thinking  the  English 
workmen  happier  than  the  Bavarian  ;  his  re- 
marks, however,  appeared  to  me  very  intelligent; 


272  ttbe  flnitialg. 


he  is  quite  willing  to  allow  England  her  superi- 
ority in  manufactures,  though  not  in  the  felicity 
of  her  lower  orders.  For  a  person  in  his  station 
of  life,  you  must  allow " 

"  Yes,"  said  Hamilton,  "  for  a  person  in  his 
station  in  life,  I  do  think  him  unusually  well- 
informed  and  rational,  but  what  I  find  most  to 
admire  about  him  is,  that  he  has  not  stood  still 
between  his  thirtieth  and  fortieth  year,  as  most 
men  who  are  not  actually  moving  in  the  world  do, 
and  which  I  verily  believe  is  the  cause  of  those 
never-ending  praises  of  the  good  old  times." 

"  He  is  the  first  person,"  said  Hildegarde, 
"that  I  have  heard  actually  give  the  present 
times  the  preference  to  those  of  his  youth  !  " 

"  He  has  followed  the  changes  of  the  world," 
said  Hamilton,  "  and  that  is  a  proof  of  intellect 
less  often  given  than  people  imagine.  Every- 
body's youth  must  be,  I  should  think,  more 
agreeable  than  their  old  age.  The  world  is  full 
of  pleasures  for  youth,  which  by  degrees,  slowly 
but  surely,  even  under  the  most  fortunate  cir- 
cumstances, cease  for  the  aged.  Happy  those 
who,  like  Mr.  Eisenmann,  can  understand  and 
appreciate  the  improvement  in  the  world — still 
more  happy  those  who,  when  old,  can  find  enjoy- 
ment in  witnessing  pleasures  in  which  they  can 
no  longer  participate." 

"  But  there  are  some  fortunate  persons  who 
never  appear  to  grow  old,"  said  Hildegarde. 

"Oh,  don't  call  them  fortunate,"  cried  Hamil- 
ton ;  "  age  must  be  felt  by  everybody,  though 


an  TUnejpecteO  Meeting.  273 

by  some  it  may  be  borne  cheerfully.  Nothing  is 
so  disgusting  as  the  affectation  of  youth  in  an 
old  person.  I  consider  it  a  positive  misfortune 
to  those  who  retain  their  youthful  manners  in  old 
age  !  To  grow  old  with  dignity,  is  not  so  easy 
as  people  imagine — I  could  write  a  pamphlet 
about  it " 

"  Pray  do,"  said  Hildegarde,  smiling,  "  I  should 
like  to  learn  to  grow  old — I — who  have  never 
really  felt  what  it  was  to  be  young  !  " 

"  I  am  waiting  to  bid  you  good-night,"  said 
Mr.  Eisenmann  at  the  door.  "  This  is  the  last 
time  I  shall  go  the  rounds,  for  I  mean  to  resign 
my  office  to  my  daughter  to-morrow — she  locked 
all  the  doors,  and  bolted  all  the  windows,  for 
many  a  year  before  she  was  married  !  " 

"  He  has  just  come  in  time,"  said  Hamilton, 
rising,  "  I  believe  I  was  getting  very  prosy." 

"  And  I  very  melancholy,"  said  Hildegarde. 

The  old  man  bade  them  good-night,  and 
watched  them  gravely  as  they  ascended  the  stairs 
and  separated  on  the  lobby. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

AN    UNEXPECTED    MEETING    AND    ITS   CON- 
SEQUENCES. 

1VA  ADAME  ROSENBERG  took  possession  of 
'  "  *•  her  father's  house  more  quietly  than  had 
been  expected  ;  he  resigned  his  keys  and  author- 
ity with  a  solemnity  which  quite  subdued  her, 

VOL.  II. — 18 


274  Gbe  Ifnitials. 


and  a  whole  week  elapsed  before  any  extraordi- 
nary bustle  was  perceptible  ;  at  the  end  of  that 
time  a  scrubbing,  and  washing,  and  painting 
began,  which  drove  the  old  man  to  the  neigh- 
bouring inn,  and  Hamilton  into  Munich,  for 
some  days.  It  was  very  disagreeable,  but  cer- 
tainly the  house  appeared  metamorphosed  when 
it  was  at  an  end,  and  no  complaints  were  heard, 
excepting  a  few  faint  murmurs  from  Mr.  Eisen- 
mann  about  the  vine  which  was  trained  against  the 
front  of  the  house  being  covered  with  whitewash. 
Hildegarde,  to  her  infinite  satisfaction,  was  not 
obliged  to  learn  cooking — she  had  shown  a  too 
decided  distaste  and  want  of  talent  ;  she  became, 
however,  a  tolerably  expert  ironer,  and  it  was 
amusing  to  see  Hamilton  sitting,  day  after  day, 
beside  the  table  covered  with  heaps  of  linen,  a 
volume  of  Schiller  on  the  philosophy  of  Herder 
in  his  hand,  reading  aloud,  in  order  (as  he  ex- 
plained to  Madame  Rosenberg)  to  improve  his 
German  accent,  about  which  his  family  had 
become  very  anxious  of  late,  and  from  which  he 
concluded  they  had  some  hopes  of  placing  him 
at  one  of  the  German  courts  ;  however,  he  did 
not  feel  particularly  interested  on  that  subject, 
nor,  indeed,  on  anything  that  had  reference  to 
the  future  ;  he  lived  from  day  to  day,  reckoning 
the  time  profitably  or  unprofitably  spent,  accord- 
ing to  its  having  been  or  not  having  been  spent 
in  Hildegarde's  society  ;  he  might  truly  say  with 
Proteus  of  Verona — 


Bn  "GlnejpecteO  flbecting.  275 

"  I  leave  myself,  my  friends,  and  all  for  love. 
Thou,  Julia,  thou  hast  metamorphosed  me  ; 
Made  me  neglect  my  studies,  lose  my  time, 
War  with  good  counsel,  set  the  world  at  nought — " 

And  three  months  passed  like  so  many  days, 
and  three  more  would  have  followed  them  in 
blissful  monotony,  had  not  a  circumstance, 
trivial  in  itself,  led  in  its  consequences  to  an 
abrupt  termination  of  this  mode  of  life,  or  waste 
of  life — whichever  the  reader  may  consider  it. 

The  Munich  midsummer  fair  had  commenced, 
and  Madame  Rosenberg,  not  having  found  time 
in  one  day  to  make  her  usual  purchases,  decided 
upon  going  a  second  ;  she  put  it  off,  however, 
until  the  very  last,  and  when  the  morning  came 
was  suffering  so  much  from  headache  that  she 
was  obliged  to  remain  at  home.  As  they  had 
promised  to  dine  at  twelve  o'clock  with  the 
Major,  she  thought  it  better  to  send  Hildegarde 
and  Gustle,  and  though  at  first  she  insisted  that 
they  were  to  go  in  their  grandfather's  little  old 
carriage,  she  at  length  yielded  to  Hamilton's 
remonstrances  and  entreaties,  and  after  he  had 
passed  a  good  half  hour  at  her  bedroom  door, 
making  promises  of  the  most  varied  description, 
allowed  them  to  drive  with  him,  and  be  under 
his  care  during  the  day. 

Crescenz  received  them,  as  usual,  with  child- 
ish delight ;  her  greatest  pleasure  on  such  occa- 
sions was  to  astonish  them  with  a  variety  of  tarts 
and  sweetmeats,  and  they  always  found  it  difficult 


276  Gbe  initials. 


to  get  away.  On  this  day  it  was  easier,  for  she 
intended  to  accompany  them  to  the  fair.  Blazius 
had  insisted  on  her  buying  some  new  muslin 
dresses,  he  was  so  thoughtful,  and  so  generous  ! 
In  fact,  they  were  a  very  merry  party  ;  for  Major 
Stultz  had  ceased  to  be  jealous  ;  his  wife  now 
really  liked  him,  and  was  more  obedient  than  a 
child  ;  the  thought  of  disputing  his  will  had  never 
entered  her  mind,  and  she  appealed  to  him  in  the 
most  infantine  manner  on  every  occasion,  while, 
captivated  by  her  beauty  and  innocence,  he  was 
invariably  indulgent  and  generous  almost  to 
prodigality.  She  assured  her  sister,  therefore, 
with  the  most  perfect  sincerity,  as  they  walked 
together  through  the  fair,  that  she  considered 
herself  the  most  fortunate  woman  in  the  world, 
that  she  could  never  have  been  so  happy  with 
anyone  as  with  Major  Stultz — no,  not  even  with 
Mr.  Hamilton — Blazius  had  quite  convinced  her 
of  that  ! 

They  loitered  about  nearly  two  hours,  and 
Hamilton,  unutterably  wearied,  was  slowly  fol- 
lowing Hildegarde,  carrying  her  various  little 
parcels  of  ribbons  and  pins,  until  the  arrival  of 
Hans  with  the  carriage  should  relieve  him, 
when  he  was  suddenly  seized  by  both  arms  and 
familiarly  addressed  by  some  persons  behind  him. 
They  were  two  of  his  nearest  relations,  passing 
through  Munich  on  their  way  home  from  Italy, 
and  were  evidently  more  glad  to  see  him  than  he 
to  see  them. 


an  TUnejpectefc  /Reeling.  277 

"  Where  have  you  been  hiding  yourself,  Al- 
fred ?  We  were  at  your  supposed  lodgings,  and 
no  one  could  tell  us  anything  about  you.  Any 
letters  left  would  be  called  for,  they  said,  which 
sounded  very  mysterious,  as,  had  you  left  for 
Vienna  or  Berlin,  your  letters  would  have  been 
forwarded  sans  fa$on,  I  suppose.  Come,  give  an 
account  of  yourself.  I  shall  be  asked  a  thousand 
questions,  you  know,  when  I  go  home — that  is,  if 
you  don't  accompany  us,  which  you  might  as  well 
do,  all  things  considered,  and — Uncle  Jack — " 

No,  Hamilton  had  no  intention  of  returning 
home  until  the  very  last  day  of  his  leave  of 
absence  had  expired. 

"  Well,  as  we  start  in  a  day  or  two,  you  will 
spend  the  evening  with  us  at  least  ? " 

At  this  moment  Hans  appeared,  and  said,  "  the 
carriage  was  ready."  Hamilton  desired  him  to 
wait  at  the  termination  of  the  booths,  and  then 
turning  to  his  companions  said,  with  some  embar- 
rassment, "  Spend  the  evening  with  you  !  oh,  of 
course  ;  but  I  have  promised  to  drive  home  a 
lady  who  lives  a  little  out  of  the  town. 

"  Oh,  there  's  a  lady,  is  there  ? " 

"  Yes  :  she  is  at  present  with  her  sister,  making 
some  purchases." 

"  Ah,  perhaps  these  are  also  some  of  them  ? " 
cried  one  of  his  cousins,  peeping  with  an  affec- 
tation of  extreme  care  into  one  of  the  parcels  ; 
"ribbons,  I  declare,  and  hair-pins  !  ergo,  young 
— where  is  she  ?  " 


278  Gbe  1  nittals. 


"  I  don't — know,"  replied  Hamilton,  looking 
down  the  row  of  booths,  at  one  of  which  Hil- 
degarde  was  standing. 

"  It  's  that  tall  girl  with  the  small  waist,  I  'm 
certain." 

"  Well,  it  is  that  tall  girl,"  said  Hamilton,  half 
laughing ;  "  the  sooner  you  let  me  go  take  her 
home,  the  sooner  I  shall  be  back  with  you." 

"  Let  him  go,  let  him  go,"  cried  his  other 
cousin  ;  and  Hamilton,  with  an  impatient  ges- 
ture, walked  quickly  on,  followed  at  a  little  dis- 
tance by  both.  He  took  a  hasty  leave  of  Major 
Stultz  and  Crescenz,  and  hurried  Hildegarde  to 
the  end  of  the  fair.  Just  as  they  were  seated  in 
the  phaeton,  and  Hamilton  was  taking  the  reins 
in  his  hand,  his  cousin  called  out,  "  Hollo, 
Alfred  !  you  never  asked  where  we  were  stopping. 
I  think  you  are  going  to  give  us  the  slip  !  " 

"  You  are  at  Havard's,  I  suppose,"  said  Ham- 
ilton, not  in  the  least  endeavouring  to  correct  the 
impatient  movements  of  his  horses. 

"  Yes.  Wait  a  moment,  I  want  to  ask  you  a 
question." 

Hamilton  bent  down  ;  his  face,  by  degrees  be- 
came crimson,  and  he  glanced  furtively  at  Hil- 
degarde, as  if  he  feared  she  might  have  overheard 
the  whisper  ;  but  she,  quite  unconscious  that  so 
many  eyes  were  fixed  upon  her,  was  leaning  back, 
and  absently  twisting  her  purse  round  her  fingers. 

Hamilton  drove  off  at  a  furious  rate,  but 
scarcely  were  they  out  of  the  town,  when,  throw- 


Bn  "dncipecteC*  Meeting.  279 

ing  the  reins  to  Hans,  he  stepped  over  the  seat 
and  placed  himself  beside  Hildegarde. 

"  I  am  surprised,"  she  observed,  with  a  smile, 
"  that  you  did  not  remain  with  your  friends,  and 
send  us  home  with  Hans." 

"  It  would  have  been  the  wisest  thing  I  could 
have  done  :  it  was  confoundedly  stupid,  my  not 
thinking  of  doing  so.  Stop  !  "  he  cried  to  Hans  ; 
but  directly  after,  sinking  back  on  his  seat,  he 
added,  "  No — go  on,"  and  then  murmured,  "  it 
is  too  late  now.  The  best  plan  will  be  not  to  re- 
turn. The  less  he  knows,  the  less  he  can  talk 
about." 

Hildegarde  bent  forward.  "  Talk  about  what  ?  " 
she  asked. 

"You  cannot  understand,"  he  answered, 
quickly. 

"  No :  I  perceive  I  cannot.  I  have  not  the 
most  remote  idea  whether  or  not  you  were  glad 
to  see  these  friends." 

"  They  are  my  relations,  my  cousins  ;  and  that 
one  who  last  spoke  to  me — did  you  observe  him? " 

"  Not  particularly." 

"  That  is  Harry  Waldcott,  a  great  friend  of  my 
brother  John's,  the  most  amusing,  worthless,  ex- 
travagant fellow  in  the  world.  Were  he  to  find 
out  where  I  am,  he  would  come  to  the  Iron  Works 
to-morrow,  establish  himself  at  the  inn,  use  my 
horses,  abuse  myself,  laugh  at  your  step-mother, 
bully  Mr.  Eisenmann,  and,  for  all  I  know,  fall  in 
love  with  you  !  " 


1Fnitial0. 


"  Dreadful  person  !  "  cried  Hildegarde,  laugh- 
ing. 

"  As  it  is,  he  has  seen  enough — too  much,  un- 
fortunately, I  think,"  he  continued,  with  increas- 
ing irritation  of  manner.  "  I  think  I  hear  his 
exaggerations  to  my  father,  his- insinuations  when 
talking  to  my  uncle  !  No  :  he  shall  never  know 
where  I  am — nothing  shall  tempt  me  into  Munich 
for  a  fortnight  at  least  !  " 

"  You  think,  perhaps,  that  your  father  and 
uncle  would  disapprove  of  your  being  at  the 
Iron  Works  ?  " 

"  Think  !  "  cried  Hamilton,  "  I  am  sure  of  it. 
My  father  would  say  I  was  losing  my  time  ;  my 
uncle,  that  I  was  making  a  fool  of  myself." 

Neither  of  them  spoke  a  word  until  they 
reached  home,  and  Hamilton  was  remarkably 
thoughtful  during  the  remainder  of  the  evening. 

The  next  day  he  was  as  cheerful  as  ever  ;  and 
having  from  his  window  seen  Hildegarde  walking 
towards  the  arbour  with  some  paper  and  an  ink- 
stand in  her  hand,  he  took  up  the  book  they  were 
reading  together,  and  followed  her.  She  had  just 
finished  making  a  pen  when  he  entered,  and 
throwing  it  on  the  table,  she  leaned  forward  and 
began,  rather  formally  : 

"  Mr.  Hamilton " 

"  Pray,  call  me  Alfred — I  have  long  wished  it, 
and  we  are  quite  intimate  enough  to  admit  of 
your  doing  so.  I  called  you  Hildegarde  the  first 
month  I  was  in  your  house." 


Sn  TJlneipecteo  /Reeling.  281 

"  It  is  perhaps  an  English  custom,"  she  said, 
half  inquiringly. 

Hamilton  did  not  answer.  The  fact  was,  at 
the  commencement  of  their  acquaintance  he  had 
considered  both  Hildegarde  and  her  sister  so 
infinitely  beneath  him  in  rank  that  he  had 
almost  immediately  called  them  by  their  Chris- 
tian names. 

"  I  suppose,"  she  continued,  "  if  I  know  you 
well  enough  to  call  you  Alfred,  I  may  venture  to 
say " 

"  You  may  venture  to  say  anything  you 
please." 

"  Well,  then — Alfred — I  think  the  sooner  you 
leave  us — leave  the  Iron  Works — the  better." 

"  Do  you  ?  "  he  said,  with  a  tolerably  success- 
ful effort  to  appear  unconcerned.  "  I  suppose 
what  I  said  yesterday,  when  I  was  vexed,  has 
made  you  come  to  this  conclusion." 

"  Yes  ;  and  though  I  cannot  perceive  that  you 
have  exactly  been  making  a  fool  of  yourself,  I 
think  it  very  evident  that  you  have  been  losing 
your  time  here." 

"  I  wish  I  could  lose  the  remainder  of  my  life 
in  the  same  way.  I  have  been  immeasurably 
happy  lately." 

"You  said  your  cousin  would  exaggerate — 
would  insinuate " 

"  Did  you  understand  what  I  meant  when  I 
said  that  ?  "  cried  Hamilton,  quickly. 

"  I  believe  I  did  ;  and  I  half  wished  you  had 


282  Gbe  Unitials. 


allowed  him  to  come  here,  and  see  that  he  was 
mistaken  ;  he  would  soon  have  perceived  that 
your  friends  have  no  cause  for  anxiety — that 
friendship  alone  exists  between  us." 

"  He  would  have  seen  no  such  thing,  Hilde- 
garde,  at  least  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  and  that 
you  know  as  well  as  I  do.  That  you  have  lim- 
ited your  measure  of  regard  for  me  is  a  proof — 
of — of — no  matter  what  ;  I  am  most  happy  that 
it  is  so."  And  Hamilton  felt  at  that  moment  as 
unhappy  and  indignant  as  he  had  ever  been  in 
his  life. 

"  Do  you  not  think,"  said  Hildegarde,  bending 
over  the  table,  as  she  played  with  the  pen,  "  do 
you  not  think  it  would  be  better  to  leave  us  be- 
fore you  are  ordered  to  do  so  ? " 

"  No,"  answered  Hamilton,  almost  harshly. 

"  But,"  she  continued,  bending  still  lower,  to 
conceal  her  heightened  color,  "  but  suppose  I 
were  not  here,  would  you  still  remain  ?  " 

"  Can  you  doubt  it  ?  "  cried  Hamilton,  ironi- 
cally. "  How  could  I  ever  willingly  quit  this 
tranquil  retreat  ?  The  pastoral  beauties  of  these 
grounds  !  The  society  in  every  way  so  suited  to 
my  tastes  and  habits  !  The " 

"  Enough,  enough  !  "  cried  Hildegarde,  seizing 
her  pen,  and  with  burning  cheeks,  but  steady 
hand,  she  rapidly  wrote  a  letter,  while  Hamilton, 
standing  at  the  entrance,  watched  her  with  an 
odd  mixture  of  anger  and  admiration.  He 
waited  until  she  had  signed  her  name,  and  then 


Bn  TBneipectefc  flReeting.  283 

placing  his  hand  on  the  paper,  asked  if  the  letter 
concerned  him. 

"  I  might  easily  equivocate,  and  say  no,  as  you 
are  neither  directly  nor  indirectly  mentioned  in 
it  ;  but  that  would  not  be  the  truth.  The  letter 
is  to  Madame  Hortense.  I  am  now  quite  resolved 
to  leave this  place," 

"  May  I  read  it  ?  " 

"  If  you  insist " 

He  took  the  letter  :  it  was  in  French,  short 
and  forcibly  written,  as  most  letters  are  when 
composed  under  the  influence  of  excited  feel- 
ings. Hamilton's  anger  increased  as  he  read  ; 
her  proud  determination  of  manner  irritated  him 
beyond  measure,  and,  ashamed  of  the  agitation 
which  his  trembling  hands  betrayed,  he  first 
crushed  and  then  tore  it  to  pieces. 

"  My  letter  !  "  cried  Hildegarde,  starting  up 
with  all  her  former  vehemence  of  manner. 

"How  dare  you "  she  stopped  and  sat  down, 

breathing  quickly  and  audibly. 

"  You  are  in  a  passion,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  I  was,"  she  replied,  taking  a  long  breath  ; 
"  it  is  over." 

"  Oh,  no  ;  be  angry,  I  entreat ;  say — do  some- 
thing outrageous  or  I  can  have  no  hope  of  for- 
giveness. We  have  changed  characters  ;  you 
have  learned  to  control  your  anger,  and  have  me 
now  in  your  power  ;  be  merciful  !  " 

"  Rather  tell  me  to  be  candid,"  she  replied, 
rising  ;  "  writing  that  letter  in  your  presence  was 


284  ttbe  ITnttfals. 


an  unnecessary  display  of  self-control  ;  I  was  not 
so  calm  as  I  wished  you  to  suppose  me." 

"  Well,  you  certainly  are  the  most  honour- 
able  " 

"  Don't  praise  me,"  she  said,  hastily  ;  "  I  can- 
not listen  to  you  when  I  am  so  dissatisfied  with 
myself.  I  fancied  my  temper  was  corrected  ;  I 
find  it  has  merely  not  been  tried." 

"Your  temper  is  a  very  good  one,"  said  Ham- 
ilton. "  That  you  doubt  yourself,  and  are  on 
your  guard,  is  rather  an  advantage  than  other- 
wise. I  always  have  been  considered  so  good- 
tempered,  that  when  I  feel  angry  it  never  occurs 
to  me  to  conceal  it,  and  the  consequence  is  that 
you  have  seen  me  forget  myself  more  than  once." 

Just  then  Madame  Rosenberg  entered  the 
garden,  holding  a  very  diminutive  note  in  her 
hand.  "  I  am  come,"  she  said,  "to  remind  you 
of  a  promise  which  you  made  to  a  lady,  I  hope 
with  the  consent  of  her  husband." 

"  I  don't  know  any  lady  likely  to  remind  me  of 
a  promise,  excepting,  perhaps,  Madame  Berger." 

"  Exactly  ;  the  Doctor  will  not  be  at  home  to- 
morrow, and  as  the  weather  is  so  fine  she  proposes 
spending  the  day  here." 

"Well,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  Well,  and  Crescenz  and  the  Major  write  to 
know  if  you  will  take  them  also  ia  your  phaeton 
when  you  drive  into  Munich  for  Lina." 

"Oh,  certainly,"  said  Hamilton,  laughing ;  it 
was  to  Crescenz  I  made  the  offer,  and  it  was 


2ln  'Clnejpecte&  .flfceetinQ.  285 

Madame  Berger  who  accepted  it.  You  may  re- 
member, Hildegarde,  the  beginning  of  the  month, 
when  we  all  went  to  drink  coffee  at  the  Stultz's, 
and  had  such  excellent  ices  afterwards.  I  won- 
der they  did  not  say  anything  yesterday  when  we 
were  with  them." 

"  I  suppose,"  observed  Madame  Rosenberg, 
"  that  they  saw  Lina  after  you  left ;  but  at  all 
events  you  will  go  for  them  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  at  a  very  early  hour. 

"  Oh,  of  course,"  she  cried,  nodding  her  head 
jokingly  ;  "  that  means  at  ten  o'clock,  I  suppose." 

"  It  means  at  five  o'clock." 

"  Ah,  bah  !  as  if  you  could  get  up  at  four  !  " 

"I  can  and  will.  Crescenz  must  give  me 
breakfast,  and  I  hope  to  be  out  of  Munich  before 
seven,  for  various  reasons  !  " 

"  The  dust,  perhaps  !  " 

"  Dust  or  dirt,"  said  Hamilton,  carelessly.  "  If 
Madame  Berger  cannot  leave  so  early,  we  can 
send  Hans  with  the  carriage  at  a  later  hour  ; 
though  I  would  rather  she  would  stay  at  home 
as  far  as  I  am  concerned." 

"  I  cannot  believe  that,"  said  Madame  Rosen- 
berg, "  for  I  never  saw  you  get  on  with  anyone  as 
you  do  with  her  ;  if  I  were  the  Doctor  I  would 
not  allow  it." 

"  Nor  I  either,  if  I  were  the  Doctor,"  said 
Hamilton,  laughing ;  "  but  he  is  not,  perhaps, 
aware  that  her  usual  vivacity  degenerates  into 
romping  when  she  is  here,  and  she  is  much  too 


286  abe  IFnttials. 


young  and  much  too  pretty  for  anyone  to  expect 
that  I " 

"  Oh,  after  all  there  is  no  great  harm  ;  you 
only  scamper  about  like  a  pair  of  children,  but  I 
should  not  like  to  see  either  Crescenz  or  Hilde- 
garde  doing  the  same." 

Hamilton  looked  at  Hildegarde ;  there  was 
something  in  the  expression  of  her  face  which 
made  him  imagine  that  she,  perhaps,  had  not 
quite  approved  of  the  scampering  about  of  which 
her  mother  spoke. 

"  Am  I  to  write  an  answer  to  this  note  ? "  she 
asked,  as  she  took  it  out  of  Madame  Rosenberg's 
hand. 

Her  mother  nodded  her  head,  and  left  the 
garden.  Hildegarde  wrote,  and  Hamilton  again 
leaned  against  the  entrance  of  the  arbour  and 
looked  in. 

"  Are  you  waiting  for  this  letter  too  ? "  she 
asked,  smiling. 

"  I  was  not  thinking  of  it,"  he  replied.  "  I 
want  to  know  if  you,  at  least,  believe  that  I  would 
rather  Madame  Berger  did  not  come  here  to- 
morrow ? " 

Hildegarde  began  to  scribble  on  the  blotting 
paper  with  great  diligence. 

"I  see  you  do  not  believe  me." 

"  I  do,  partly,  especially  if  you  think  you  must 
be  quieter  than  on  former  occasions,  now  that 
mamma  has  remarked  it.  The  fact  is,  I  think 
Lina  altogether  to  blame,  and  I  have  often  ad- 
mired your  forbearance." 


an  "dneipecteO  flfceeting.  287 

"  Thank  you,"  cried  Hamilton,  "  I  am  quite 
satisfied  now." 

"  Do  not  be  quite  satisfied  with  yourself,"  said 
Hildegarde,  "  for  I  must  tell  you  honestly  that  I 
am  quite  disposed  to  be  unjust  to  Lina  ;  more 
than  ready  to  put  an  unkind  construction  on  all 
she  does  or  says." 

"  Why  ? "  asked  Hamilton,  with  a  blush  of 
pleasure,  as  a  faint  vision  of  the  "  green-eyed 
monster  "  approaching  Hildegarde  floated  before 
his  imagination.  "  Why  ?  " 

"  Because  I  dislike  her.  We  waged  war  with 
each  other  for  nearly  ten  years." 

"  Ah,  I  remember,  she  told  me  you  were  rival 
beauties  at  school." 

"There  was  no  rivalry  on  my  part,"  said 
Hildegarde  quietly ;  "  I  never  hesitated  to 
acknowledge  her  beauty :  it  is  of  the  most 
captivating  description,  and  even  when  she  is 
most  disagreeable  to  me  I  admire  her  person." 

"  You  dislike  her  mind — her  disposition,  which 
is  so  different  from  yours,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  I  cannot  tolerate  her  want  of  truth  and 
honour  ;  her,  to  me,  unfathomable  cunning.  In 
one  word,  I  despise  her." 

"  You  have  been  at  no  pains  to  conceal  it," 
observed  Hamilton. 

"  There  was  no  necessity,"  said  Hildegarde, 
beginning  to  fold  up  her  note  ;  "but,"  she  added, 
"  you  must  not  let  my  opinion  weigh  with  you  ; 
you  know  I  have  strong,  and  often  unreasonable, 
prejudices.  At  all  events,  Lina's  faults  are  not 


288  abe  initials. 


of  a  description  to  prevent  one  from  passing  a 
long  summer's  day  very  agreeably  in  their  so- 
ciety." 

"  She  is  certainly  an  amusing  person,"  said 
Hamilton. 

"  She  is  clever,"  said  Hildegarde,  gathering  up 
her  writing  materials  to  carry  into  the  house  ;  "  no 
one  can  deny  that  she  has  intellect  ;  at  school 
there  were  few  to  be  compared  to  her." 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

THE     EXPERIMENT. 

T^HE  morning  was  bright  and  still  cool,  though 
*  promising  a  sultry  day,  as  Hamilton  pre- 
pared to  leave  the  Iron  Works.  To  the  astonish- 
ment of  Madame  Rosenberg,  it  was  so  early, 
that  she  was  obliged  to  wish  him  good-morning 
from  one  of  the  windows,  her  nightcap  yet  on  her 
head.  Hildegarde  was  standing  before  the 
horses,  giving  them  lumps  of  sugar,  which  they 
had  learned  to  expect  from  her,  and  looking  so 
fresh  and  beautiful  that  Hamilton  began  to 
grudge  the  few  hours  which  civility  required  him 
to  absent  himself  from  her.  Kneeling  on  the  seat 
of  the  phaeton,  he  looked  up  towards  Madame 
Rosenberg,  and  asked  if  it  would  not  do  just  as 
well  if  he  sent  the  carriage  with  Hans  ? 


ttbe  Bjperiment.  289 

"Lina  Berger  will  never  forgive  you,"  she 
answered  from  the  window. 

"  Dear  Crescenz  will  expect  you  to  breakfast," 
said  Hildegarde,  pushing  away  the  head  of  one 
of  the  horses  which  had  been  resting  on  her  arm, 
"  I  am  sure  she  has  already  arranged  all  her 
prettiest  cups  and  saucers  for  you — don't  forget 
to  admire  them." 

Hamilton  drove  off.  He  found  Crescenz  not 
only  waiting  for  him,  but  with  her  head  stretched 
far  out  of  the  window,  watching  for  his  arrival. 
She  ran  to  meet  him,  exclaiming,  "  How  good- 
natured  of  you  to  come  on  so  short  a  notice,  and 
so  early  too  !  Blazius  is  not  dressed — he  is  so 
lazy  in  the  morning — he  never  gets  up  until  past 
six  !  We  shall  not  wait  breakfast  for  him,  how- 
ever. Which  cup  do  you  choose  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Hamilton,  thoughtfully. 
"  This  is  the  largest,  but  that  is  the  prettiest — I 
think  I  must  have  both,  first  this  and  afterwards 
that  one." 

Crescenz  laughed  ;  and  between  the  history  of 
her  cups,  and  a  discussion  about  her  new  half- 
mourning,  the  time  passed  until  her  husband  made 
his  appearance  to  eat  a  hearty  breakfast,  for  he 
was  quite  as  anxious  as  Hamilton  to  leave  Munich 
early,  he  so  very  much  disliked  both  heat  and 
dust.  They  called  for  Madame  Berger  :  she  was 
dressed  in  the  very  extreme  of  fashion,  and 
bounded  lightly  up  to  the  seat  beside  Hamilton. 

"  Let  me  see  how  your  horses  can  step  out," 

VOL.  II. — 19 


290  Gbe  fnittals. 


she  cried,  while  leaning  back  to  offer  Crescenz 
her  little,  tightly  gloved  hand. 

Hamilton  was  quite  willing  to  gratify  her,  his 
horses  ready  to  second  him  ;  at  that  early  hour 
the  road  was  but  little  encumbered  by  carts  or 
carriages,  and  past  the  few  they  met  the  phaeton 
rolled  with  a  velocity  that  made  Madame  Berger 
laugh  so  heartily,  that  poor  Crescenz's  stifled 
screams  were  for  some  time  inaudible.  At  length 
Major  Stultz  spoke  :  "  Mr.  Hamilton,  may  I  beg 
of  you  to  drive  a  little  slower — Crescenz's  nerves 
are  not  in  a  state  to  bear " 

"  Why,  good  gracious,  Crescenz  !  "  exclaimed 
Madame  Berger,  "  you  don't  mean  to  say  you  are 
frightened  ?  Mr.  Hamilton  drives  so  well  that 
there  is  not  the  slightest  danger." 

"  Oh,  no  ;  I  dare  say  not,"  said  Crescenz. 

"  I  should  not  be  afraid,"  continued  Madame 
Berger,  "  if  it  were  night,  and  pitch  dark  into  the 
bargain  !  " 

"  How  very  courageous  !  "  observed  Crescenz, 
timidly. 

In  the  meantime,  Hamilton  endeavoured  to 
"  draw  in  his  flowing  reins,"  but — 

' '  a  generous  horse 
Shows  most  true  courage  when  you  check  his  course." 

His  horses  were  no  longer  to  be  restrained, 
and  their  impatient  springing  and  dancing 
alarmed  Crescenz  more  than  ever.  At  length 
she  could  endure  it  no  longer  ;  and  when  little 


Bjperiment.  291 


more  than  half  way,  insisted  on  getting  out  of  the 
phaeton  ;  and  Hamilton  had  the  mortification  of 
seeing  her  take  her  husband's  arm,  and  with  a 
look  of  infinite  relief,  begin  to  walk  off  as  fast  as 
she  could. 

"You  always  lead  me  into  mischief  of  some 
kind  or  other  !  "  cried  Hamilton,  provoked  at 
Madame  Berger's  laugh  of  derision.  "  I  shall 
keep  out  of  your  way  as  much  as  I  can  the  rest 
of  this  day  !  " 

"You  will  do  no  such  thing,"  she  answered, 
saucily.  "Those  two  fools  trudging  along  the 
road  there  only  live  for  each  other  at  present  — 
Hildegarde  will  not  talk  to  me,  and  I  have  not 
the  slightest  intention  of  spending  the  day  with 
either  Madame  Rosenberg,  who  lectures  me 
about  my  duties  towards  the  Doctor,  or  old  Mr. 
Eisenmann,  who  talks  of  nothing  but  cactuses 
and  iron  !  If  you  don't  mean  to  be  civil  to  me, 
turn  back  and  leave  me  at  home  again." 

"  Civil  !  oh,  I  have  every  intention  of  being 
civil,  but  I  would  rather  avoid  such  scenes  as  we 
had  the  last  day  you  were  with  us  ;  I  was  obliged 
to  explain  and  excuse  -  " 

"  And  who  has  a  right  to  demand  an  explana- 
tion, I  should  like  to  know  ?  Hildegarde,  per- 
haps ?  " 

"No,"  answered  Hamilton,  colouring;  "it 
was  Madame  Rosenberg,  who  seemed  to 
think  -  " 

"  Never  mind  what  she  thinks,  we  mean  no 


Initiate. 


harm,  and  I  do  not  see  why  we  should  not 
amuse  ourselves  ;  but  I  must  tell  you  something 
which  I  observed  the  last  time  I  was  with  you — 
Hildegarde  certainly  does  not  like  our  being  such 
good  friends  !  " 

"  I  don't  think  she  cares." 

"  You  don't  know  her  as  well  as  I  do.  With- 
out particularly  caring  for  you,  she  may — in 
fact  she  must,  have  become  accustomed  to  your 
attentions — for  who  else  have  you  to  talk  to  ? 
Now,  any  lessening  of  the  homage  one  has  been 
used  to  is  sure  to  irritate — should  you  like  to 
make  her  jealous  ?  " 

"  Jealous  !  "  repeated  Hamilton,  and  he  thought 
of  what  had  occurred  the  day  before  in  the  gar- 
den. Could  he  in  anyway  provoke  her  jealousy, 
he  should  be  able  perhaps  to  judge  of  the  state 
of  her  feelings  towards  him  ;  if,  as  she  professed, 
but  which  he  could  not  quite  believe,  friendship 
was  really  all  she  felt  for  him,  why  then,  the 
magnanimous  plans,  the  colossal  sacrifices  he 
had  lately  so  often  meditated,  would  be  thrown 
away,  and  he  might  after  all  share  the  fate  of 
Zedwitz.  Here  was  an  opportunity  of  making 
the  trial,  without  committing  either  Hildegarde 
or  himself.  The  temptation  was  strong  to  make 
the  experiment,  and  he  again  repeated,  very 
thoughtfully,  the  word  "  Jealous  !  " 

"  Yes,  jealous ;  jealous  of  your  allegiance. 
She  will  at  first  think  I  am  to  blame,  but  you 
must  show  her  the  contrary.  You " 


Gbe  ^Experiment.  293 

"  Stay,"  cried  Hamilton,  "  what  will  Madame 
Rosenberg  say  ? " 

"  No  matter  what  ;  I  shall  give  her  no  oppor- 
tunity of  lecturing  me.  She  is  too  good-natured 
to  tell  the  Doctor,  and  Biedermann  will  never 
hear  any  thing  about  the  matter." 

"  Biedermann  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Theodor ;  he  would  be  much  more 
angry  than  the  Doctor,  I  suspect." 

"  But  what  right  has  he— 

"  Oh,  none  in  the  world  ;  but,  you  see  I  have 
got  accustomed  to  his  attentions,  and  cannot  do 
without  them — he  is  enormously  prosy  some- 
times— but  then  he  loves  me  ;  even  when  he  is 
scolding  I  can  observe  it,  and  attribute  half  his 
lectures  to  jealousy.  One  likes  a  little  sentiment 
sometimes,  you  know,  and  once  accustomed  to 
to  these  sort  of  petit  soins,  it  is  impossible  to  re- 
sign them  without  an  effort,  of  which  I  confess 
I  am  incapable  ;  I  should  die  of  ennui." 

"But,"  said  Hamilton,  "do  you  not  think 
there  is  danger  in  a  connection  of  the  kind  ? " 

"  Danger  !  not  the  least.  He  knows  that  I 
loved  him  formerly  in  a  foolish,  girlish  sort  of 
way,  and  had  we  been  in  England,  I  have  no 
doubt  we  should  have  gone  off  together,  and 
been  miserable  for  life.  The  Doctor  is  a  very 
kind,  indulgent  husband,  but  he  has  not  time  to 
be  attentive,  and  as  I  have  no  family  to  occupy 
my  time,  I  require  someone  to  talk  to,  and 
amuse  me.  Theodor  is  well  educated,  clever, 


ftbe  ITnittate. 


honourable,  and  all  the  sermons  of  my  relations 
and  friends  together  will  not  make  me  give  him 
up.  The  world  may  talk,  and  perhaps  con- 
demn me — I  care  not,  for  I  know  that  I  never 
have  done,  and  never  mean  to  do  anything 
wrong." 

"  And,"  said  Hamilton,  "  if  Biedermann  were 
to  marry  ? " 

"  Not  very  probable  for  many  years  ;  but  if  he 
were,  I  should  find  someone  else.  You,  for  in- 
stance, would  suit  me  very  well,  if  you  were 
likely  to  remain  here ;  though  I  am  afraid  I 
should  find  you  troublesome." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  would,"  said  Hamilton,  as 
he  drew  up  his  horses  before  the  Iron  Works. 

Hildegarde  ran  out  expecting  to  see  her  sister  ; 
her  disappointment  changed  into  surprise  when 
she  heard  what  had  occurred,  and  she  said  at 
once  that  she  would  go  to  meet  her.  Perhaps 
she  expected  Hamilton  to  accompany  her,  but 
he  either  was,  or  pretended  to  be,  too  much 
occupied  with  Madame  Berger  to  hear  what  she 
said,  and  she  set  out  alone. 

More  than  an  hour  elapsed  before  Crescenz, 
Major  Stultz,  and  Hildegarde  appeared,  all  a 
good  deal  overheated,  for  the  day  had  already 
become  warm.  They  joined  the  others  in  the 
garden,  and  began  to  saunter  up  and  down  the 
narrow  gravel  walks,  or  to  seek  the  shade  under 
the  apple-trees  in  the  orchard.  Mr.  Eisenmann 
immediately  gathered  a  bunch  of  fresh  roses  for 


tTbc  Experiment.  295 

Crescenz,  and  Madame  Berger,  turning  to  Ham- 
ilton, desired  him  to  bring  her  some  also. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  or  not  I  can  obey 
you,"  he  answered,  laughing  ;  "  I  have  been  for- 
bidden to  pull  flowers  without  leave,  ever  since 
the  day  I  beheaded  some  scores  of  roses  with  my 
riding- whip." 

"  Your  punishment  is  at  an  end,"  said  Hilde- 
garde,  smiling  :  "  I  am  glad  to  perceive  you  have 
not  forgotten  it  "  ;  and,  as  she  spoke,  she  pulled 
a  half-blown  rose  and  gave  it  to  him. 

"  Ah  !  that  is  just  the  one  I  was  wishing  to 
have,"  cried  Madame  Berger,  holding  out  her 
hand. 

"  You  shall  have  another,  but  not  this  one," 
said  Hamilton. 

"  That,  and  no  other,"  cried  Madame  Berger  ; 
and  after  some  laughing  and  whispering,  he  gave 
her  the  flower. 

Hildegarde  was  surprised,  although,  by  a  sort 
of  tacit  agreement,  she  and  Hamilton  usually 
avoided  any  exhibition  of  their  intimacy  or 
friendship  when  Madame  Berger  was  present  ; 
the  latter  continued,  "  I  have  an  odd  taste,  per- 
haps, but  my  favourite  flower  is  the  common 
scarlet  geranium.  I  do  not  see  one  here." 

"  The  only  plant  I  had,"  said  Mr.  Eisenmann, 
"  I  gave  to  Hildegarde,  and  she  gave  it  to  Ham- 
ilton to  put  on  his  flower-stand." 

"  Oh,  if  it  belongs  to  you,"  said  Madame  Ber- 
ger, with  a  light  laugh,  "  I  must  have  a  branch 


296  Gbe  flntttals. 


of  it  directly,  "  and  she  bounded  into  the  house 
as  she  spoke. 

"  This  is  too  much,"  cried  Hamilton,  running 
after  her.  A  minute  or  two  afterwards  a  violent 
scream  was  heard  from  his  room,  of  which  both 
windows  were  open. 

"  Shall  we  go  and  see  what  has  happened  ?  " 
whispered  Crescenz  to  her  sister. 

"  No,  it  is  better  to  leave  them  alone." 

"  Lina  is  growing  worse  and  worse  every  day," 
said  Crescenz.  "  Blazius  does  not  at  all  like  my 
being  with  her,  since  people  have  begun  to  talk 
so  much  about  her." 

"  What  do  people  talk  about  ?  " 

"  They  say  that  Mr.  Biedermann  is  now  con- 
stantly with  her ;  never  out  of  the  house.  In 
fact " 

At  this  moment  Hans  ran  past  them  towards  a 
shed,  at  the  end  of  the  orchard,  where  garden 
utensils  and  flower-pots  were  kept,  and  having 
taken  one  of  the  latter,  was  returning  to  the 
house,  when  Crescenz  asked  what  had  happened. 

"  I  don't  exactly  know,  ma'am  ;  I  believe  Mr. 
Hamilton  put  a  geranium  on  the  top  of  the  ward- 
robe, and  Madame  Berger,  in  trying  to  take  it 
down,  let  it  fall,  and  it  is  broken  to  pieces." 

"  The  pot  or  the  plant  ?  "  asked  Hildegarde. 

"  Both,  I  believe,  mademoiselle,"  answered 
Hans,  hurrying  into  the  house. 

"  How  long  is  she  likely  to  remain  with  him 
up-stairs  ?  "  asked  Crescenz. 


tTbe  XSipedment.  29? 

"  Until  dinner-time,  perhaps,"  answered  Hilde- 
garde,  carelessly ;  "  he  has  got  a  number  of 
paintings  on  china  and  new  books  to  amuse  her. 
But  now  you  must  come  and  see  what  a  quantity 
of  work  I  have  done  lately  ;  you  have  no  idea 
how  useful  I  can  be  ;  even  mamma  praises  me 
sometimes  !  " 

The  afternoon  amusement  was,  as  usual,  a 
walk  in  the  oak  wood.  Hamilton  and  Madame 
Berger  soon  wandered  away  from  the  sisters,  and 
after  waiting  for  their  return  more  than  an  hour 
near  the  little  chapel,  Hildegarde  and  Crescenz 
began  to  walk  home.  "Well,  Hildegarde,  what 
do  you  think  of  this  ? "  asked  the  latter,  looking 
inquiringly  at  her  sister's  grave  countenance. 

"  Nothing,"  she  replied  quietly. 

"  So  Blazius  was  quite  mistaken,  it  seems  ;  he 
said  that  Mr.  Hamilton  has  long  liked  you,  and 
that  you  were  beginning  to  like  him." 

"  He  was  quite  right,"  said  Hildegarde,  "  we 
do  like  each  other  very  much,  especially  since 
my  father's  death  ;  he  was  so  very  kind  at  that 
time." 

"  Blazius  said  it  was  more  than  mere  liking. 
Now  if  you  cared  for  him  as  Blazius  supposed, 
his  conduct  to-day  must  vex  you,  you  could  not 
help  feeling  jealous." 

"  I  have  no  right." 

"  Oh,  one  never  thinks  of  right  on  such  occa- 
sions," said  Crescenz,  smiling  ;  "  I  remember  the 
time  I  used  to  suffer  tortures  whenever  he  whis- 


ftbe  tfnitials. 


pered  and  laughed  with  Lina.  There  was  a 
time,  too,  when  I  could  not  have  endured  his  pre- 
ferring you  to  me,  but  now " 

"  Now  ? "  repeated  Hildegarde,  inquiringly. 

"  Now,  I  don't  think  about  him,  and  I  like 
Blazius  so  much  that  I  never  think  of  comparing 
them.  Mr.  Hamilton  is  certainly  very  handsome, 
but,  as  Blazius  says,  one  gets  so  accustomed  to 
good  looks,  that  at  last  it  makes  no  impression  at 
all.  By  the  by,  how  improved  Peppy  is  since 
he  has  been  in  the  country,"  she  added,  as  the 
child  ran  to  meet  her  ;  "  I  declare  he  will  be 
quite  as  handsome  as  Fritz — it  is  impossible  not 
to  like  such  noble-looking  creatures.  I  must  say 
they  are  both  a  thousand  times  more  lovable 
than  Gustle,  who  promises  to  be  extremely  plain, 
and  not  in  the  least  like  either  of  us." 

Hildegarde  smiled  at  the  discrepancy  between 
the  commencement  and  end  of  her  sister's  speech, 
but  took  no  notice  of  it,  and  they  spent  the  rest 
of  the  day  in  the  arbour,  talking  over  their  school 
adventures,  Crescenz  house  affairs,  and  Hilde- 
garde's  plans  for  the  future. 

Hamilton  and  Madame  Berger  did  not  return 
until  just  before  supper-time  ;  they  entered  into 
no  explanation,  and  made  no  excuses  ;  the  latter 
merely  observed,  when  arranging  her  hair  in  Hil- 
degarde's  room,  "  I  really  never  spent  a  pleas- 
anter  day  ;  Mr.  Hamilton  is  positively  charming 
—quite  a  love.  I  must  not  forget  to  wear  the 
wreath  of  ivy  he  took  such  trouble  to  choose  for 


tTbe  Bjpeciment  299 

me,"  and,  while  speaking,  she  twisted  a  long 
light  branch  with  its  deep  green  leaves  among 
the  tresses  of  her  fair  hair,  and  pushing  back 
with  both  hands  the  mass  of  ringlets  which  cov- 
ered her  face,  bestowed  a  glance  of  satisfied 
vanity  on  the  looking-glass,  and  flourishing  her 
pocket  handkerchief  left  the  room. 

"  I  never  saw  Lina  look  so  pretty  as  she  does 
to-day,"  observed  Hildegarde. 

"  And  do  you  really  not  feel  angry  with  her  ?  " 
asked  Crescenz,  as  she  put  her  arm  around  her 
sister's  waist,  and  they  began  to  descend  the 
stairs  together. 

"  Angry  with  her  for  having  taken  a  long  walk 
with  Mr.  Hamilton  ?  " 

"  Ah,  bah  !  you  know  very  well  what  I  mean." 

"  No,  dear  Crescenz,  I  am  not  in  the  least 
angry,"  whispered  Hildegarde,  with  a  gay  laugh, 
as  she  entered  the  room  where  the  others  were 
just  placing  themselves  at  table.  Hamilton  looked 
up,  and  beheld  her  clear  brow  and  cheerful 
smile  with  painful  uncertainty  ;  Madame  Berger 
bent  towards  him,  and  whispered  "You  were 
right." 

"  How  ?  when  ?  " 

"  She  does  not  care  a  straw  for  you.  I  never 
believed  it  until  to-day." 

Hamilton  bit  his  lip,  and  slightly  frowned. 

"  Oh,  don't  be  annoyed  about  it ;  you  cannot 
expect  to  succeed  with  all  the  world,  you  know. 
I  suppose,  having  nothing  else  to  do  here,  you 


300  tlbe  Ifmtfals. 


have  given  yourself  some  trouble  to  please  her, 
and  it  is  disagreeable  to  find  one's  self  mistaken  ; 
but  you  may  remember  I  told  you  long  ago  that 
she  would  exact  a  kind  of  love  which  few  men 
are  capable  of  feeling  ;  a  sort  of  immaculate  de- 
votion, not  to  be  expected  from  your  sex,  now 
that  the  times  of  knighthood  are  passed.  She 
will  never,  in  these  degenerate  days,  find  anyone 
to  love  her  as  she  imagines  she  deserves." 

"  And  yet,"  said  Hamilton,  "  she  has  so  little 
personal  vanity." 

"  That  I  consider  one  of  her  greatest  defects. 
What  is  a  woman  without  personal  vanity? 
Avoid  during  the  rest  of  your  life  all  who  have 
not,  at  least,  a  moderate  quantity  of  it ;  without 
it  we  are  abnormous,  unnatural,  and  it  is  impos- 
sible to  know  how  to  manage  us." 

"  You  have  really  given  me  a  great  deal  of 
information  to-day,"  said  Hamilton,  laughing  ; 
"  a  few  walks  with  you,  and  I  should  become  a 
perfect  tactician." 

"If  you  choose,  however,  to  try  Hildegarde 
further,"  said  Madame  Berger,  "you  must  man- 
age it  yourself.  She  may  think  you  now,  for  all 
I  know,  a  victim  to  my  arts  and  wiles,  and  more 
worthy  of  pity  than  anger." 

Partly  from  pique,  partly  because  he  was 
amused,  Hamilton  devoted  himself  altogether  to 
Madame  Berger  for  the  rest  of  the  evening.  He 
drew  his  chair  beside  hers  after  supper,  and  they 
continued  together  in  the  little  dark  parlor,  even 


Experiment.  301 


after  all  the  family  had  withdrawn  to  enjoy  the 
long  warm  July  evening  in  the  garden. 

It  was  almost  night  when  Crescenz  came 
timidly  into  the  room,  and  in  an  embarrassed 
manner  said  that  she  was  too  much  afraid  of  Mr. 
Hamilton's  horses  to  drive  home  with  him,  and 
that  Mr.  Eisenmann  had  offered  his  carriage  - 

"  His  cart,  my  dear,  you  mean,"  said  Madame 
Berger,  interrupting  her,  without  moving  a  feature 
of  her  face.  "  I  recommend  you  to  have  a  few 
bars  of  iron  laid  at  the  back,  the  horses  will  be 
all  the  quieter  ;  they  are  accustomed  to  the 
sound,  you  know." 

"  I  —  I  thought,"  said  Crescenz,  "  that  you 
would,  perhaps,  prefer  going  home  with  me 
instead  -  " 

"  Oh,  not  at  all,  my  dear  ;  I  would  not  sepa- 
rate you  and  Major  Stultz  for  the  world  ;  besides, 
I  am  not  in  the  least  afraid  either  of  Mr.  Hamil- 
ton or  his  horses.  You  see,"  she  added,  turning 
to  Hamilton,  "  I  take  it  for  granted  that  you  will 
leave  me  at  home." 

"  Of  course.  I  am  only  sorry,"  said  Hamilton 
to  Crescenz,  "  that  you  will  not  go  with  us  ;  I 
can  almost  promise  that  the  horses  will  be  quieter 
than  in  the  morning." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Crescenz,  rather  stiffly, 
"but  even  if  they  were  I  should  now  decline 
your  offer,  as  Lina  has  shown  so  plainly  that  she 
does  not  wish  for  my  company,  or,  indeed,  for 
anyone's  excepting  yours." 


302  Ebc  Unittals. 


"  I  am  overpowered  at  the  severity  of  your 
remarks,"  cried  Madame  Berger,  catching  her 
arm,  with  a  light  laugh  ;  "  how  fortunate  that 
the  darkness  hides  my  blushes.  I  say,  Cressy," 
she  added,  in  a  lower  voice,  "  is  it  for  yourself 
or  for  Hildegarde  that  you  have  entered  the 
lists  ? " 

"  I — I — don't  understand  you,"  said  Crescenz, 
releasing  her  arm,  and  hurrying  out  of  the  room. 

"  Order  your  carriage,"  said  Madame  Berger, 
turning  back  for  a  moment  to  Hamilton  :  "  order 
your  carriage  as  soon  as  possible,  or  I  shall  get  a 
lecture  from  Madame  Rosenberg,  and  I  am  not 
in  a  humour  for  anything  of  the  kind  just  now." 

The  carriages  were  at  the  door  together. 
"  Hans  may  drive,"  cried  Hamilton,  springing 
into  the  phaeton  after  Madame  Berger ;  and  as 
long  as  they  were  in  sight  he  seemed  to  be 
wholly  occupied  with  the  arrangement  of  her 
shawl. 

"  Hildegarde  !  Hildegarde  !  where  have  you 
hidden  yourself?"  cried  Madame  Rosenberg, 
about  an  hour  afterwards,  and  a  voice  from  the 
very  end  of  the  orchard  answered,  "  Here,  mam- 
ma, I  am  coming  directly  ;  "  but  even  while 
speaking,  Hildegarde  turned  again,  and  with 
folded  arms  and  lingering  steps  continued  her 
sentinel-like  walk. 

The  next  day  Hamilton  felt  very  uncertain 
whether  or  not  he  had  acted  wisely.  Hildegarde 
was  so  upright  and  free  from  coquetry  herself 


Gbe  ^Experiment.  303 

that  he  feared  she  would  not  easily  understand 
his  motives  were  he,  in  exculpation,  to  explain 
them  ;  and  even  if  he  made  them  evident,  she 
would  condemn  them.  He  met  Madame  Rosen- 
berg on  his  way  to  breakfast ;  heard  the  half- 
joking,  half-serious  expostulations  he  had  ex- 
pected, and  replied  to  them  as  usual,  with  a 
mixture  of  petulance  and  impertinence. 

He  approached  Hildegarde,  hoping  sincerely 
that  he  should  find  her  angry,  or  at  least  offended, 
but  all  his  efforts  to  discover  anything  of  the 
kind  failed  ;  she  was,  perhaps,  a  little  less  cheer- 
ful than  usual,  but  not  enough  to  admit  of  his 
questioning  her.  Before  dinner  she  received  a 
letter  ;  the  handwriting  was  unknown  to  him, 
but  though  burning  with  curiosity  to  know  from 
whom  it  came  when  he  saw  her  unusual  trepida- 
tion on  receiving  it,  he  dared  not  ask  her,  though 
he  would  not  have  hesitated  to  have  done  so  the 
day  before.  In  the  afternoon,  when  he  ex- 
pected her  to  walk,  she  sent  Gustle  to  tell  him 
that  she  had  a  long  letter  to  write,  and  could  not 
go  out.  The  next  few  days  she  chose  to  assist 
her  mother  in  preserving  fruit,  and  then  appeared 
an  interminable  quantity  of  needlework  to  be 
done.  Hamilton  felt  the  change  which  had 
taken  place  in  their  intercourse  without  being 
able  to  cavil  at  it.  He  felt  that  he  was  to  blame, 
but  he  nevertheless  got  out  of  patience,  and 
began  to  drive  into  Munich  every  day.  No  one 
seemed  to  think  he  could  be  better  employed, 


304  $be  flnttials. 


and  many  and  various  were  the  commissions 
given  him  by  different  members  of  the  family. 

One  day,  just  as  he  was  telling  Hildegarde  that 
he  should  not  return  until  late  at  night,  as  he  in- 
tended to  go  to  the  opera,  Madame  Rosenberg 
entered  the  room  ;  she  held  in  her  hand  a  silver 
hair-pin  of  curious  filagree  work,  and  exclaimed 
rather  triumphantly,  "  Well,  here  is  Lina  Berger's 
silver  pin,  after  all ;  not  found  in  the  garden, 
where  she  said  she  lost  it,  but  in  your  room, 
under  the  wardrobe.  Monica  saw  it  when  she 
was  scouring  the  floor." 

"  Very  likely,"  said  Hamilton ;  "  Madame 
Berger  mounted  a  chair  to  get  at  my  scarlet  ger- 
anium, which  I  hoped  to  have  placed  out  of  her 
reach  on  the  top  of  the  wardrobe  ;  by  making  a 
spring  she  caught  the  flower-pot,  but  descended 
on  the  edge  of  the  chair,  which  fell  with  her  to  the 
ground.  I  was  greatly  alarmed,  as  after  the  first 
scream  of  fright  she  became  unusually  quiet,  and 
although  she  said  she  was  not  hurt,  she  lay  on 
the  sofa  without  moving  or  opening  her  eyes  long 
after  I  had  transplanted  my  poor  geranium,  and 
mourned  over  it,"  he  added,  looking  towards 
Hildegarde. 

Madame  Rosenberg  laughed.  "  That  was  a 
trick  to  prevent  you  from  scolding  her  about  the 
plant,  which  she  saw  you  rather  valued." 

"  Perhaps  it  was,"  said  Hamilton,  colouring, 
"  and  I  never  suspected  it." 

"  Well  you  can  tell  her  your  present  suspicions 


Cbe  JEjperimcnt.  305 

to-day  when  you  give  her  the  hair-pin,  you 
know  "  ;  and  she  held  it  towards  him  as  she  spoke. 

"  I  never  go  to  Madame  Berger's,"  said  Ham- 
ilton, and  he  was  glad  to  be  able  to  say  so,  "  but 
if  you  choose  to  give  it  to  Hans,  he  can  leave  it 
at  her  house  when  I  go  to  the  theatre." 

"  Hildegarde,  make  a  little  parcel  of  it,  and 
write  her  a  line,"  said  Madame  Rosenberg. 

Hildegarde  took  her  brother  Gustle's  pen,  and 
on  a  leaf  of  his  copy-book  wrote  her  a  few  severe 
words,  which  not  even  the  usual  "  dear  Lina,"  or 
the  schoolfellow  tutoiment  could  soften. 

Hamilton  smiled,  and  unconsciously  pulled  his 
glove  towards  his  wrist  until  he  tore  it.  "  These 
are  the  worst  gloves  I  have  ever  had,"  he  cried, 
impatiently  throwing  them  on  the  table  ;  "  that 
is  the  second  pair  I  have  spoiled  to-day." 

"  The  gloves  seem  to  be  very  good,"  observed 
Madame  Rosenberg,  taking  them  up,  "  and  as 
they  are  a  very  pretty  colour,  Hildegarde  may  as 
well  mend  them  for  you,  but  while  she  is  doing 
so  you  must  seal  and  direct  this  parcel  to  Lina," 
and  leaving  them  thus  employed  she  walked  out 
of  the  room. 

"  Permit  me,"  said  Hamilton,  half  jestingly,  a 
few  minutes  afterwards,  as  Hildegarde  returned 
him  the  gloves,  "  Permit  me  to  kiss  your  hand  "  ; 
and  then  he  added,  "  this  seals  our  reconciliation 
I  hope?" 

"  We  have  had  no  quarrel,  and  require  none," 
answered  Hildegarde. 


VOL.  II.— 20 


306  Gbe  Initials. 


"  Yet  you  have  been  displeased — angry  with 
me — have  you  not  ?  "  asked  Hamilton. 

"  I  have  had  no  cause — I  have  no  right " 

"  But  you  know  what  I  mean  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  do,"  replied  Hildegarde,  half  smil- 
ing, and  quite  blushing. 

"  And  what  did  you  suppose  were  my  motives  ? 
What  did  you  think  of  me  ?  " 

"  I  thought,  after  all  your  professions  of  regard 
for  me,  you  might  have  waited  until  you  reached 
England  before  you  began  a  new — flirtation." 

"  Then  you  were  a  little — a  very  little  jealous, 
perhaps  ? " 

"  I  think  not — I  hope  not,"  said  Hildegarde, 
quickly,  "for  it  would  be  very  absurd,  most 
ridiculous.  In  fact,"  she  added,  frankly,  "  I  did 
not  care  how  much  you  devoted  yourself  to 
Lina,  until  I  perceived  that  you  wished  me  to 
observe  it." 

"  I  did  wish  you  to  observe  it.  I  hoped  to 
have  elicited  some  spark  of  feeling  from  you  in 
that  way,  after  having  failed  in  all  others." 

"  And  Lina  Berger  was  the  person  chosen  as 
assistant — as  confidant,  perhaps?" 

"  I  had  nothing  to  confide.  I  have  never  made 
any  secret  of  my  feelings  towards  you." 

"  So  you  wished  to  show  Lina  Berger  and 
everyone  else  what  you  supposed  were  my  feel- 
ings towards  you  ?  It  was  an  ungenerous  inten- 
tion, Mr.  Hamilton,  all  things  considered,  as  any 
weakness  on  my  part  would  have  merely  served 


Gbe  Experiment.  307 

to  give  you  a  useless  triumph  ;  but,"  she  added, 
with  heightened  colour,  "  I  am  not  offended,  not 
in  the  least  angry  with  you — or  jealous  ;  and  for 
the  short  time  we  are  likely  to  be  now  together, 
I  hope  we  may  be  as  good  friends  as  we  have 
been  for  the  last  few  months.  The  whole  affair 
is  really  not  worth  talking  about." 

"  I  hope,  however,  you  do  me  the  justice  to 
believe  me  perfectly  indifferent  to  Madame 
Berger  ? " 

"  About  as  indifferent  as  she  is  towards  you. 
You  flatter  each  other,  and  vanity  draws  you 
together." 

"  And  you  do  not  mind  our  being  drawn 
together  ?  " 

"Not  in  the  least,"  said  Hildegarde,  com- 
posedly. 

"  I  believe  you,  I  believe  you.  I  am  thoroughly 
convinced  of  your  indifference,  and  require  no 
further  proof.  I  am  sorry  for  it,  but — perhaps  it 
is  all  for  the  best."  At  the  door  he  turned  back, 
and  added,  "We  have  not  quarrelled,  Hilde- 
garde ?  we  are  friends  at  least  ? " 

"  Friends  !  oh,  certainly,  though  ever  so  far 
apart,"  answered  Hildegarde,  with  a  forced  smile. 
"  One  so  poor  in  friends  as  I  am  grasps  even  at 
the  name." 

Hamilton  noiselessly  closed  the  door,  and  she 
bent  over  her  work  until  some  large  tears  began 
to  drop  on  it,  and  a  choking  feeling  in  her  throat 
induced  her  to  go  to  the  open  window,  where 


308  Gbe  Unttiate. 


she  leaned  out  as  far  as  the  numerous  plants 
would  permit,  and  gazed  long  into  the  orchard 
without  distinguishing  a  single  object  that  lay 
before  her. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

THE    RECALL. 

A  BOUT  a  fortnight  after  the  foregoing  events, 
**  as  Hamilton  was  one  morning  sitting  list- 
lessly in  the  arbour  at  the  end  of  the  garden,  Hilde- 
garde  came  towards  him  carrying  a  large  packet 
of  letters,  which  Hans  had  just  brought  from 
Munich.  As  she  placed  herself  beside  him  he 
looked  at  the  different  handwritings,  and  mur- 
mured, "  My  sister  Helen — my  father — John, 
and — from  Uncle  Jack,  too  !  With  what  different 
feelings  should  I  have  received  these  letters  a 
short  time  ago  !  Don't  go  away,  Hildegarde  ;  I 
have  no  intention  of  making  you  any  reproaches 
or  speeches,  and  I  may,  perhaps,  want  your 
advice  about  fixing  the  day  of  my  departure." 

She  sat  down  on  the  steps  leading  into  the 
arbour,  leaned  her  elbow  on  her  knee  and  her 
head  in  her  hands,  and  remained  perfectly  im- 
movable for  more  than  half  an  hour.  She  was 
not  musing  on  the  past,  or  thinking  of  the  future  ; 
she  heard  her  heart  beat  distinctly,  and  would, 
perhaps,  have  endeavoured  to  count  its  throbs 
had  she  not  felt  irresistibly  compelled  to  listen  to 


Gbe  TRecaH.  309 

a  most  inharmonious  and  lamentable  ditty  sung 
by  the  cook  as  she  scoured  her  kitchen  furniture 
near  an  open  window.  Some  vague  ideas  of  the 
happiness  of  those  whose  thoughts  never  soar 
beyond  the  polishing  of  pots  and  pans,  or  the 
concocting  of  meats  within  them,  floated  through 
her  mind  ;  and  then  appeared  a  vision  of  a  nun- 
nery garden,  with  very  green  grass  and  long 
gravel  walks  ;  and  then  Hamilton  rustled  the 
paper  of  his  letters,  and  she  expected  him  to 
speak,  and  when  he  did  not  she  again  listened  to 
the  monotonous  song,  and  wondered  if  it  had 
no  end. 

The  song  continued,  but  she  ceased  to  hear  it, 
for  Hamilton  spoke  at  length,  and  she  turned 
round  to  answer  him. 

"  These  letters  contain  the  recall  I  have  been 
expecting,"  he  said,  folding  them  up,  "  and  also 
a  large  sum  of  money  for  my  journey,  more, 
much  more  than  I  shall  require  ;  my  Uncle 
measures  my  expenses  by  my  brother's.  In  short, 
neither  he  nor  any  of  my  family  have  in  the  least 
degree  comprehended  my  position  here  ;  their 

ignorance  would  shock  you "  He  stopped, 

evidently  embarrassed.  His  uncle's  letter 
would,  indeed,  have  shocked  her  ;  he  had  offered 
to  send  Hamilton  any  sum  of  money  necessary  to 
buy  off  the  claims  which  Hildegarde  or  her  family 
might  have  upon  him. 

"I  suppose,"  said  Hildegarde,  "they  expect 
you  home  directly." 


310  Gbe  Initials. 


"  They  rather  wish  me  to  visit  the  Z 's,  as 

they  have  become  acquainted  lately  with  some  of 
their  connections." 

"  And  you  intend  to  do  so  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have  no  particular  wish  to  return  home 
directly,  though  I  see  they  expect  me  in  about  a 
fortnight  or  three  weeks." 

"  In  that 'case  you  will  have  to  leave  us  soon — 
very  soon." 

"  How  soon  ?  "  asked  Hamilton,  endeavouring 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  her  face,  which  was,  per- 
haps purposely,  averted. 

"  You  are  the  best  judge  of  that,"  she  answered, 
rising  from  her  lowly  seat  ;  "  if  leaving  us  be  dis- 
agreeable to  you,  the  sooner  you  get  over  it  the 
better." 

"  It  is  more  than  disagreeable — it  is  painful  to 
me."  He  paused,  and  then  added,  hastily,  "  I 
shall  take  your  advice  and  leave  to-morrow." 
More  than  a  minute  he  waited  for  her  to  speak 
again,  one  word  or  one  look  might  at  that 
moment  have  changed  all  his  plans,  but  finding 
that  she  remained  silent,  he  slowly  gathered  up 
his  letters,  and  walked  thoughtfully  into  the 
house. 

Madame  Rosenberg  talked  more  than  enough  ; 
she  thought  it  necessary  to  put  the  whole  house 
in  commotion,  and  was  so  anxious  to  prove  to 
him  that  all  his  clothes  were  in  order,  that  she 
followed  him  to  his  room,  and  actually  herself 
packed  all  his  portmanteaux  and  cases  ;  she  then 


tTbe  TCecall.  31* 


seated  herself  on  one  of  the  former,  and  began 
to  question  him  about  what  he  intended  to  do 
with  Hans,  the  horses,  and  phaeton. 

"  I  shall  take  Hans  to  England  with  me,  and 
leave  the  horses  at  Munich  to  be  sold.  I  dare 
say  Stultz  will  take  the  trouble  of  looking  after 
them  for  me." 

"  Dear  me,  how  surprised  he  will  be — and 
Crescenz — and  Lina  Berger.  Really,  the  whole 
thing  is  so  unexpected,  that  one  has  no  time  to 
think,  or  feel,  or  understand " 

"  That  is  just  what  I  wished,"  said  Hamilton  ; 
"  I  hope  not  to  have  time  to  think  or  feel,  for  I 
leave  your  house  most  unwillingly,  but  leave  it 
I  must,  as  my  father  and  uncle  expect  me  home 

in  a  week  or  two,  and  I  am  going  first  to  the 
v >c  " 

I-i  3. 

"  Pray  give  the  Baroness  my  compliments," 
said  Madame  Rosenberg  ;  "  it  was  very  civil  of 
her  taking  the  children  home — that  evening,  you 
know." 

Hamilton  remembered  the  evening,  but  he 
thought  it  was  very  probable  he  should  forget  the 
compliments. 

"Sorry  as  I  am  to  lose  you,"- continued  Ma- 
dame Rosenberg,  "  I  must  say  I  think  your  re- 
lations are  right  to  insist  on  your  return  ;  as  my 
father  said  yesterday,  a  young  man  with  your 
capabilities  being  allowed  to  waste  your  time  as 
you  have  been  doing,  is  perfectly  incomprehen- 
sible." 


312  Gbe  tTnitials. 


"  My  object  was  to  learn  German,  and  I  have 
learned  it,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  It  would  have  been  better  for  you  if  Hilde- 
garde  and  Crescenz  had  not  spoken  French  so 
well.  My  father  says,  too,  you  speak  English 
now  with  Hildegarde  ;  I  'm  sure  I  don't  know 
how  she  learned  it.  I  never  could  learn  French, 
though  I  have  often  tried,  and  I  am  not  a  stupid 
person  in  other  things.  I  'm  very  glad,  however, 
that  she  has  learned  English,  though  I  formerly 
thought  it  unnecessary.  Four  languages  for  a 
girl  not  yet  eighteen  is  pretty  well,  as  poor  dear 
Franz  used  to  say,  and " 

"  Four  languages,"  repeated  Hamilton  ;  "  what 
is  the  fourth  ?  " 

"  Why,  do  you  not  know  that  she  speaks  and 
writes  Italian  quite  as  well  as  French  ?  Made- 
moiselle Hortense  is  a  half  Italian,  and  she 
spared  no  pains  in  teaching  her,  most  fortunately, 
as  it  has  turned  out,  for  the  lady  with  whom  she 
is  likely  to  be  placed  particularly  requires  Italian, 
as  she  is  going  to  Italy  next  year." 

"  So  Hildegarde  is  to  leave  you  also  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  was  at  first  very  unwilling,  and,  in- 
deed, should  not  have  consented  were  I  still  in 
Munich  ;  but,  you  see,  here  she  is  never  likely 
to  marry,  and  after  her  sister  has  made  such  an 
excellent  match,  she  would  not  be  satisfied  with 
our  Forster,  Mr.  Weidmann,  I  am  afraid." 

"  I  should  think  not,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  Now,  as  she  is  certainly  remarkably  hand- 


"Recall.  313 


some,"  continued  Madame  Rosenberg,  "  and 
within  the  last  year  greatly  improved,  too,  I 
should  not  at  all  wonder  if,  at  Frankfort  or 
Florence  she  were  to  pick  up  someone " 

"Not  at  all  unlikely,"  observed  Hamilton. 

"  Or  if  old  Count  Zedwitz  were  to  die,  perhaps 
his  son  might  again " 

Hamilton  began  to  stride  up  and  down  the 
room  with  unequivocal  signs  of  irritation. 

"  I  see  all  this  is  uninteresting  to  you,"  said 
Madame  Rosenberg,  placing  her  hands  on  her 
knees  to  assist  her  in  rising  from  her  low, 
unsteady  seat.  "  How  can  I  expect  you  to  care 
who  she  marries,  or  where  she  goes,  or,  indeed, 
what  becomes  of  any  of  us  now  ?  In  a  few  weeks 
you  will  have  forgotten  us  altogether  !  " 

"  How  little  you  know  me  !  "  cried  Hamilton, 
taking  her  hand  as  she  was  passing  him  ;  "  I 
shall  never  forget  you,  or  the  happy  days  passed 
in  your  house,  and  am  so  sincerely  attached  to 
you  and  all  your  family,  that  nothing  will  give 
me  greater  pleasure  than  hearing  of  or  from  you. 
I  shall  leave  you  my  address  in  London,  and  hope 
that  you,  and  your  father,  and  the  children,  will 
often  write  to  me.  When  Fritz  comes  home  for 
the  holidays  I  shall  expect  a  long  letter,  not 
written  from  a  copy,  and  in  his  best  handwriting, 
but  unrestrained,  and  telling  me  everything  about 
you  all." 

"  Well,  I  really  believe  you  do  like  us,"  cried 
Madame  Rosenberg,  the  tears  starting  to  her 


3H  ftbe  ITnitiats. 


eyes  ;  "  but,  after  all,  not  as  well  as  we  like  you  ; 
and  now,  I  think  I  had  better  leave  you,  or  else 
I  shall  make  an  old  fool  of  myself." 

Hamilton's  hours  that  day  were  winged  ;  they 
flew  past  uneasily,  like  birds  before  an  approach- 
ing storm.  The  afternoon,  evening,  and  night 
came  ;  Mr.  Eisenmann  dozed,  Madame  Rosen- 
berg inspected  her  sleeping  children,  and  Hilde- 
garde  and  Hamilton  for  the  first  time  sat  gravely 
and  silently  beside  each  other  ;  neither  of  them 
had  courage  to  attempt  the  mockery  of  uncon- 
cerned conversation ;  each  equally  feared  a 
betrayal  of  weakness,  and  it  was  a  relief  to  both 
when  the  time  for  moving  arrived.  Mr.  Eisen- 
mann retired  quietly  to  his  room  on  the  ground 
floor  ;  Madame  Rosenberg,  after  wishing  Hamil- 
ton good-night,  took  the  house-keys  out  of  the 
cupboard  and  commenced  her  usual  nightly  ex- 
amination of  all  the  windows  and  doors.  Ham- 
ilton sprang  up  the  stairs,  and  watched  at  the 
door  of  his  chamber  until  he  heard  Hildegarde 
separate  from  her  mother  and  begin  to  ascend  ; 
he  waited  until  she  had  deposited  her  candle  and 
work-basket  on  the  table  in  her  room,  and  as  she 
afterwards  advanced  to  close  the  door,  he  called 
her  out  on  the  lobby,  and  said,  hurriedly,  "  Hilde- 
garde, I  shall  have  no  opportunity  of  speaking  to 
you  alone  to-morrow,  and  must  take  advantage 
of  this  to  ask  you  to  forgive  and  forget  all  my 
faults  and  failings." 

"  I  cannot  remember  any,"  said  Hildegarde. 


(Tbe  "Recall.  315 


"  You  say  so,  but  I  know  you  think  that  I 
endeavoured  to  gain  your  affections  without  any 
fixed  purpose.  That  is  true — I  mean,  this  was 
true  until  lately — but  that  is  of  no  importance 
now.  Then,  I  must  confess  I — I  was  not  sorry 
for  the  unpleasant  termination  of  the  affair  with 
Zedwitz.  I  now,  too,  see  that  I  ought  not  to 
have  come  here  with  you,  still  less  should  I  have 
endeavoured  to  make  you  jealous  or " 

"  Oh,  I  give  you  absolution  for  all,"  cried 
Hildegarde,  interrupting  him,  "and  hope  you 
will  endeavour  to  forget  how  often  you  have  seen 
me  impatient  or  in  a  passion." 

"  I  have  already  forgotten  it,  and  wish  I  could 
forget  everything  else  besides  that  has  occurred 
during  the  last  eleven  months.  We  have  been 
eleven  months  together,  have  we  not  ? " 

"I  believe  so,"  answered  Hildegarde, thought- 
fully. "  It  appears  to  me  much  longer  ;  my  life 
has  been  so  different  from  what  it  was  before 
that  time,  I  feel  almost  as  if  I  had  known  you 
eleven  years." 

The  sound  of  closing  doors  no  longer  distant 
made  Hamilton  whisper  anxiously,  "  I  shall  not 
find  it  easy  to  part  from  you  with  becoming 
firmness  before  so  many  witnesses  to-morrow, 
Hildegarde  ;  still  less  should  I  have  courage  to 
entreat  you  once  more  to  accept  the  little  watch 
which  you  so  unkindly  returned  to  me  last 
Christmas.  Will  you  again  refuse  it  ?  " 

"  No,"  she  replied,  "  although  I  should  have 


316  abe  tfnitials. 


greatly  preferred  something  of  less  value  ;  I  only 
wish  I  had  something  to  bestow  in  return ;  but 
I  have  nothing,  absolutely  nothing." 

"  Stay,"  said  Hamilton,  with  some  hesitation, 
"you  have  something  which  you  value  highly, 
though  I  do  not  know  why  ;  a  little  mysterious 
bauble,  which  I  should  like  to  possess." 

"  Name  it,  and  it  is  yours,"  said  Hildegarde, 
eagerly. 

He  placed  his  finger  on  the  hair  bracelet  which 
she  constantly  wore. 

"  Ah  !  my  bracelet !  "  cried  Hildegarde,  with 
a  look  of  surprise,  "  if  you  wish  for  it,  certainly  ; 
in  fact  it  is  better."  She  held  her  arm  towards  the 
door  of  her  room,  that  the  light  from  the  candle 
might  fall  on  it,  and  Hamilton  thought  he  saw 
tears  in  her  eyes  as  she  endeavoured  to  unclasp  it. 

"  I  only  value  it  because  you  appear  so  attached 
to  it,"  he  said,  half  apologetically.  "  Before  it 
comes  into  my  possession,  however,  you  must  tell 
me  whose  hair  I  am  about  to  guard  so  carefully 
for  the  rest  of  my  life  ;  not  Mademoiselle  Hor- 
tense's  I  hope." 

"  No,"  said  Hildegarde,  holding  it  towards 
him. 

"  Tell  me  whose  hair  it  is  !  "  he  cried  eagerly, 
for  Madame  Rosenberg's  heavy  step,  and  the 
jingling  of  her  large  keys  became  every  moment 
more  audible.  As  she  approached  the  staircase, 
he  again  repeated,  "  Whose  hair?"  but  Hildegarde, 
instead  of  answering,  sprang  into  her  room  just 


ilbe  TRecall.  317 


as  a  long  ray  of  light  from  her  mother's  can- 
dle reached  the  spot  where  they  stood.  Madame 
Rosenberg  found  Hamilton's  door  shut,  and  Hil- 
degarde  on  her  knees  beside  her  bed,  with  her 
head  buried  in  her  hands. 

And  Hamilton  never  suspected  that  the  brace- 
let he  examined  so  long  and  earnestly  that  night 
was  made  of  his  own  hair,  obtained  at  the  time 
he  had  been  wounded  in  the  head,  by  the  fall 
from,  or  rather  with,  his  horse. 

The  whole  family  were  assembled  at  an  early 
hour  the  next  morning  to  witness  his  departure. 
Madame  Rosenberg  unreservedly  applied  her 
handkerchief  to  her  eyes  ;  her  father  looked 
grave  ;  the  two  little  boys,  half  frightened  at  the 
unusual  solemnity  of  the  breakfast  table,  whis- 
pered and  nudged  each  other,  while  Hildegarde, 
pale  as  the  wife  of  Seneca,  was  apparently  the 
only  unmoved  person  present. 

Hamilton  took  leave  of  all  the  workmen  and 
servants,  shook  hands  with  Mr.  Eisenmann,  was 
kissed  in  the  most  maternal  manner  on  both 
cheeks  by  Madame  Rosenberg,  embraced  the 
little  boys,  and  held  Hildegarde's  hand  in  his 
just  long  enough  to  cause  a  transient  blush  to 
pass  over  her  features  and  make  her  look  like 
herself. 

After  he  had  driven  off,  he  turned  round  in  the 
carriage  to  take  a  last  look,  and  it  seemed  to  him 
as  if  her  beautiful  features  had  turned  to  marble, 
so  cold  and  statue-like  were  they.  Madame 


3*8  Gbe  initials. 


Rosenberg  was  returning  into  the  house,  talking 
to  her  cook  ;  the  old  man  was  gayly  playing  with 
the  children  ;    Hildegarde  stood  alone,  motion- 
less, on  the  spot  where  he  had  left  her. 
"  Is  that  indifference  ? "  thought  Hamilton. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

HOHENFELS. 

TT  was  late  on  the  evening  of  the  ensuing  day 
when  Hamilton  reached  Hohenfels,  a  moder- 
ate-sized, high-roofed  dwelling-house,  having 
two  dark-coloured  massive  square  towers  as 
wings.  It  was  beautifully  situated  on  the  side  of 
a  rocky  mountain,  from  which  circumstance  it 
probably  derived  its  name.  Avenue  there  was 
none  ;  the  narrow  private  road  which  conducted 
to  it  (though  passing  through  woods  with  open 
glades,  which,  even  without  their  splendid  moun- 
tain background,  would  have  successfully  rivalled 
any  avenue  Hamilton  had  ever  seen  in  England) 
was  evidently  intended  to  serve  equally  as  an 
approach  to  several  comfortable  peasants'  houses, 
which,  apparently,  more  than  the  genius  of  an 
engineer,  had  originally  directed  its  course. 

The  buildings,  at  a  little  distance  from  Hohen- 
fels, Hamilton  now  instinctively  knew  to  be  a 
brewery  and  its  appendages,  and  he  examined 
them  with  less  curiosity,  but  infinitely  more  in- 


Dobenfels.  319 


terest,  than  on  a  former  occasion.  If  he  did  not 
quite  consider  beer  (as  some  one  has  not  inaptly 
pronounced  it)  a  fifth  element  in  Bavaria,  he  had 
at  least  so  frequently  heard  its  merits,  demerits, 
and  price  canvassed,  that  he  began  to  attach  con- 
siderable importance  to  the  subject,  and  rather 
prided  himself  on  being  able  to  talk  about  it. 

On  driving  into  the  court,  he  looked  up  along 
the  range  of  windows,  and  discovered  with  great 
pleasure  A.  Z.  standing  at  one  of  them.  He 
had  not  had  time  to  write,  or  in  anyway  to  an- 
nounce his  visit,  therefore  her  first  look  of  sur- 
prise rather  amused  him  ;  when  they  met,  and 
she  regretted  that  her  husband  was  on  a  hunting 
expedition,  and  would  not  be  at  home  until  the 
next  day,  he  was  glad  that  no  letter  from  him 
had  interfered  with  the  arrangement.  They 
supped  together  under  a"  large  chestnut  tree, 
commanding  an  extensive  view  of  woods,  moun- 
tains, and  a  part  of  the  Chiem  Lake,  now  glitter- 
ing in  all  the  radiance  of  a  magnificent  sunset. 

"  I  had  no  idea,"  said  Hamilton,  "  that  you 
were  so  near  home  when  I  met  you  at  Seon  last 
summer.  I  understand  now  why  you  were  al- 
ways on  the  move,  and  we  saw  so  little  of  you. 
By  the  by,  I  should  like  to  hear  something  of 
the  Zedwitzes  ;  they  are  relations  or  intimate 
friends  of  yours,  I  believe  ?  " 

"  Distant  relations,  but  very  near  and  dear 
friends,"  answered  A.  Z.  "  I  am  sorry  I  have 
nothing  satisfactory  to  tell  you  ;  the  old  Count  is 


320  Gbe  initials. 


killing  himself  as  fast  as  he  can  with  perspiration 
and  cold  water  ;  his  wife  had  a  fit  of  apoplexy 
this  summer,  from  which  she  is,  however,  nearly 
recovered  ;  and  Maximilian  has,  you  know,  been 
constantly  from  home  since  that  unpleasant  busi- 
ness with  the  Rosenberg  family.  He  was  with 
us  for  a  few  weeks,  and  1  never  in  my  life  saw  a 
man  in  such  a  state  of  •  desperation  ;  his  only 
consolation  was  talking  to  me  about  this '  cun- 
ningest  pattern  of  excellent  nature/  this  Hilde- 
garde,  and  as  I  had  a  great  deal  to  do  in  my 
house,  and  could  not  always  find  time  to  listen 
to  him,  he  used  to  wander  about,  writing  sonnets, 
I  should  imagine,  from  the  poetical  expression 
of  his  dear  ugly  face." 

"  So  he  told  you  all  about  it  ? "  said  Hamil- 
ton. 

"  Yes,  and  about  you,  too  ;  that  is,  all  he  knew 
about  you.  He  seemed  to  have  dreaded  you 
excessively  as  a  rival ;  indeed,  he  does  so  still, 
for  were  his  father  to  die,  I  have  not  the  small- 
est doubt  he  would  renew  his  proposal,  and  per- 
haps be  accepted." 

"  I  admire  his  patience  and  perseverance," 
said  Hamilton,  ironically  ;  "  one  downright  re- 
fusal such  as  he  received  would  have  satisfied 
me." 

"  Circumstances  might  materially  alter  the 
state  of  the  case,"  said  A.  Z.  "  Suppose  this 
flirtation  with  you  quite  over — you  have  left, 
most  probably,  without  any  sort  of  serious  ex- 


•foobenfels.  321 


planation  ;  now  I  have  no  doubt  you  are  very 
charming,  but,  you  know,  people  do  get  over 
hopeless  affairs  of  this  kind  in  the  course  of 
time,  and  in  the  course  of  time,  too,  Maximilian 
will  be  at  liberty  to  marry  whoever  he  pleases. 
I  cannot  imagine  his  being  refused  again,  he  is 
so  exactly  the  sort  of  man  most  women  like." 

"  He  does  not  think  so  himself,"  observed 
Hamilton. 

"  That  is  his  great  charm,"  said  A.  Z.  "  Diffi- 
dent enthusiastic  men  are  almost  always  popu- 
lar. I  have  a  decided  predilection  for  them." 

"  I  think,  however,  you  are  singular  in  your 
taste,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  Not  at  all,"  rejoined  A.  Z.;  "  the  secret  may 
be  that  such  men  think  less  of  themselves,  and 
more  of  the  person  they  wish  to  please  ;  but  in 
nine  cases  out  of  ten,  you  will  find  that  it  is  an 
ugly  man  who  inspires  real  affection.  It  is  very 
creditable  to  our  sex,  you  must  allow  ;  one  so 
very  seldom  hears  of  a  man  who  loves  a  really 
ugly  woman." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,"  said  Hamilton.  "  My 
experience  has  not  been  great.  I  only  know 
that  I  am  now  very  seriously,  and,  I  fear,  hope- 
lessly in  love  with  a  very  young  and  very  beauti- 
ful woman." 

"  You  will  get  over  it,"  observed  A.  Z.,  laugh- 
ing. "  A  few  months  in  London,  if  it  were  not 
so  late  in  the  year " 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  said   Hamilton,  gravely  ; 

VOL.  H.— 21 


322  <Xbe  flnitiale. 


"  neither  a  few  months  nor  a  few  years  either  are 
likely  to  change  my  feelings." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it,"  said  A.  Z.,  thought- 
fully ;  "  never  will  I  sign  a  letter  with  my  initials 
again." 

"  I  had  quite  forgotten  that  your  note  was  the 
cause  of  all  this  evil,"  said  Hamilton,  smiling, 
"  but  there  would  be  no  evil  at  all  if  Hildegarde 
liked  me." 

"  So  it  is  all  on  your  side,"  observed  A.  Z., 
with  some  surprise. 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  am  afraid  so.  If  it  will 
not  bore  you,  I  should  like  to  explain,  and  ask 
your  advice " 

"  Stay,"  cried  A.  Z.,  "  I  don't  at  all  know  this 
Hildegarde,  and  I  now  do  know  something  of 
you  and  your  family,  and  shall  therefore  cer- 
tainly recommend  you  to  break  off  the  affair,  if 
you  can  do  so  with  honour  ;  and  that  you  can  do 
so  is  scarcely  to  be  doubted,  if  you  imagine  her 
indifferent  to  you." 

"  But  suppose  she  had  been  indifferent  only 
because  I  said  I  could  not  marry  ? " 

"  It  would  prove  that  she  is  as  prudent  as  she 
is  pretty,  and  that  is  saying  a  great  deal," 
answered  A.  Z.,  gayly ;  and  as  you  can  not 
marry,  the  least  said  about  the  matter  the  bet- 
ter." 

"  You  do  not  quite  understand  the  state  of 
the  case,"  began  Hamilton.  "  You  see  I  have  a 
grand  uncle " 


•foobenfels.  323 


"  Called  Jack,"  observed  A.  Z. 

"  Exactly,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  and  this  Uncle 
Jack  made  a  fortune  in  India,  in  those  times 
when  fortunes  were  to  be  made  there,  and  added 
to  this  fortune  by  speculations  in  the  funds  at  the 
end  of  the  last  war  ;  we  have  consequently  a 
great  respect  for  him." 

"Of  course,"  said  A.  Z.;  "people  always 
have  a  respect  for  rich  uncles,  both  in  books  and 
real  life.  I  never  had  one,  but  I  can  imagine 
the  thing." 

"  As  he  had  no  children,"  continued  Hamil- 
ton, "  my  father  prudently  chose  him  as  god- 
father to  his  eldest  son,  who  was  accordingly 
afflicted  with  the  name  of  John,  but  even  in  his 
earliest  youth  it  was  found  that  the  name  would 
not  cover  the  multitude  of  his  sins,  poor  fellow, 
and  while  I  was  still  a  mere  child  my  uncle  de- 
clared that  John  would  inherit  from  his  father 
more  than  he  would  ever  deserve,  and  that  I, 
and  I  alone,  should  be  his  heir.  He  defrayed  all 
the  expenses  of  my  education,  gave  me  ponies, 
and  pocket  money,  and  would  have  paid  my 
debts,  I  do  believe,  without  hesitation,  if  I  had 
had  any  at  Cambridge.  Since  I  have  been  here, 
too,  he  has  sent  me  large  remittances  through 
my  father,  and  latterly,  I  suspect,  forbidden  the 
words  of  wisdom  which  usually  accompanied 
them.  The  first  letter  I  ever  received  from  him 
was  the  day  before  yesterday  ;  he  had  heard — 
more  than  was  necessary,  more  than  was  true — 


324  Gbe  Initials. 


of  Hildegarde,  and  you  can  imagine  his  propos- 
ing to  send  me  money  to  buy  off — to  pay — to 
satisfy — pshaw  !  where  is  the  letter  ?  You  must 
read  it,  or  you  will  never  understand " 

"  He  does  not  understand,  that  is  very  evi- 
dent," observed  A.  Z.  ;  "  You  need  not  show  me 
the  letter,  but  go  on." 

"  When  I  told  Hildegarde  that  I  must  return 
home,  she  recommended  my  leaving  directly  ; 
she  had,  indeed,  advised  me  to  do  so  before  the 
letter  arrived." 

"  And  did  she  give  you  this  advice  without 
any  apparent  effort  ?  " 

"  Without  apparent  effort,  yes  ;  but  she  is  not 
to  be  judged  from  appearances.  She  has  been 
educated  by  a  Mademoiselle  Hortense,  who  has 
given  her  the  idea  that,  besides  controlling  her 
temper,  which  is  naturally  hasty,  she  should 
endeavour  to  conceal  all  her  feelings,  and,  if  pos- 
sible, stifle  them  altogether.  If  Hildegarde  had 
not  been  naturally  warm-hearted,  hot-tempered, 
and  intellectual,  such  an  education  would  have 
completely  spoiled  her." 

"  But,"  said  A.  Z.,  "  after  having  lived  nearly 
a  year  in  the  same  house,  if  you  can  have  any 
doubts  about  her  caring  for  you " 

"  Stay,"  cried  Hamilton,  interrupting  her, 
"  you  are  not,  perhaps,  aware  that  I  proclaimed 
myself  a  younger  son,  and  said  I  could  not 
marry,  even  before  I  entered  the  Rosenbergs' 
house,  and,  as,  until  very  lately,  I  never  seriously 


f>obenfel$.  325 


thought  of  sacrificing  my  really  brilliant  pros- 
pects, Hildegarde  is  still  unconscious  that  even, 
with  the  best  intentions,  I  could  have  acted  oth- 
erwise than  as  I  have  done.  I  have  been  more 
calculating  and  worldly-minded  than  befits  such 
an  attachment,  but  latterly,  as  the  time  drew  near 
when  I  knew  we  must  part,  I  was  ready  to  brave 
all  my  family  and  be  disinherited  by  my  uncle  if 
she  had  only  said  one  word,  given  me  one  look, 
from  which  I  could  have  felt  certain  that  she 
loved  me." 

"  I  suppose,"  said  A.  Z.,  rising,  and  walking 
towards  the  house,  "  I  suppose,  from  what  you 
have  just  said,  that  you  have  some  fortune  inde- 
pendent of  your  family — enough,  at  least  to  buy 
bread  and  butter  ?  " 

"  I  have  five  thousand  pounds.  A  legacy  left 
me  by  a  distant  relation,  but  it  is  not  at  my  dis- 
posal for  two  years.  This  would  not  be  enough 
for  England  ;  but  I  think  here,  as  you  say,  it 
would  perhaps  buy  bread  and  butter " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  "  said  A.  Z.,  laughing,  "  and  roast 
veal  and  pudding  into  the  bargain,  but  that  is  not 
all  that  is  to  be  considered.  You  ought  not  to 
make  so  great  a  sacrifice  without  considering 
long  and  carefully  both  sides  of  the  question." 

"  Oh,  I  have  considered  only  too  long,"  an- 
swered Hamilton,  "  but  I  see  you  cannot  under- 
stand me,  or  know  Hildegarde  without  reading 
my  journal.  I  had  some  intention  of  leaving 
it  under  your  care,  at  all  events,  and  I  shall  only 


326  tTbe  flnitiate. 


beg  of  you  never  to  refer  to  that  part  of  it  which 
relates  to  Count  Oscar  Raimund." 

"  I  think  I  already  know,"  said  A.  Z.,  "  his 
father  showed  me  the  letter  he  had  written  the 
day  he  had  shot  himself.  Does  Mademoiselle 
Rosenberg  know  that  she  was  the  cause  ?  " 

"  But  too  well,  as  you  will  perceive  from  my 
journal,"  answered  Hamilton  ;  "you  really  seem 
to  know  everybody  and  everything,  which,  how- 
ever, no  longer  surprises  me,  as  I  am  myself 
willing  on  so  short  an  acquaintance  to  confide  in 
you.  I  suppose  other  people  have  done  the  same." 

"  Not  exactly,"  answered  A.  Z.,  "  but  as  I 
know  the  Zedwitzes,  the  Raimunds,  the  Bergers, 
and  even  Mr.  Biedermann,  and  as  you,  from  the 
peculiarity  of  the  commencement  of  our  ac- 
quaintance, rather  interested  me,  I  have  thought 
it  worth  while  to  listen,  and  remember  all  I  have 
heard  about  you." 

"  How  very  kind  !  "  said  Hamilton. 

"  You  say  that  thoughtlessly,"  observed  A.  Z., 
laughing,  "  but  it  really  was  kind  of  me,  for  I 
greatly  prefer  talking  to  listening  on  most  occa- 
sions." 

"  Will  reading  my  journal  bore  you  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least.  I  shall  be  curious  to  know 
the  impression  made  on  you  by  all  you  must 
have  seen  of  the  domestic  manners  you  were  so 
anxious  to  become  acquainted  with  last  year. 
Have  you  given  up  all  idea  of  writing  a  book  on 
the  subject  ?  " 


•fcobenfels.  327 

"I  have  been  a  much  too  greatly  interested 
actor  to  have  thought  of  anything  of  the  kind,  as 
you  will  see." 

"  Before  I  read  your  journal,"  said  A.  Z., 
"  that  is  before  I  feel  any  interest  in  this  Hilde- 
garde,  you  must  allow  me  to  point  out  to  you  all 
the  disadvantages  of  the  step  you  propose  taking, 
and  remind  you  that  the  sacrifice  of  parents, 
relations,  the  friends  of  your  youth,  your  coun- 
try, and  your  native  language,  ought  not  to  be 
lightly  made.  I  speak  from  experience." 

"  But  you  told  me,"  said  Hamilton,  "  that  you 
felt  quite  naturalised — that  you  had  become  a 
very  Bavarian  !  I  know,  too,  you  are  more  than 
contented  ;  you  are  happy.  The  Countess  Zed- 
witz  told  me  so." 

"  Very  true,"  answered  A.  Z.,  "  but  I  am  a 
woman,  and  that  alters  the  case  materially  ;  both 
our  nature  and  education  induce  us  to  conform 
to  the  habits  of  those  about  us — we  have  no  pro- 
fession, no  career  in  life  to  give  up,  we  have 
only  to  learn  to  enlarge  or  contract  our  sphere  of 
action,  according  to  the  circumstances  in  which 
we  may  be  placed.  For  instance,  Mademoiselle 
Rosenberg  would  most  probably,  without  hesita- 
tion, go  with  you  to  England  were  your  uncle  to 
consent  to  your  marriage." 

"  I  cannot  help  thinking  that — perhaps — she 
would,"  answered  Hamilton. 

"  And  if  she  did,  she  would  never  have  any 
cause  to  regret  having  done  so,  for  besides  being 


328  Gbe  fnltfats. 


united  to  the  person  she  loved,  she  would  only 
have  to  learn  to  live  luxuriously,  and  habits  of 
that  kind  are  easily  acquired  ;  but  after  having 
so  lived,  frugality  is  more  difficult  of  acquirement 
— and  that  would  be  your  task." 

"  But  I  have  tried  it,"  cried  Hamilton,  eagerly  ; 
"  I  have  made  the  trial  this  last  year.  I  see  that 
riches  are  not  necessary  to  my  happiness — I  am 
convinced,  that  with  Hildegarde  and  a  cot- 
tage  " 

"  So  you  would  live  in  the  country  ?  " 

"  Of  course." 

"  And  in  the  mountains  ?  " 

"  Here,  in  your  neighbourhood,  if  possible." 

"You  are  bribing  me,"  cried  A.  Z.,  "more 
than  you  know.  I  am  in  want  of  such  neigh- 
bours, and  although  it  is  getting  cool,"  she  added, 
drawing  her  shawl  around  her,  "  still,  as  it  is  not 
yet  dark,  we  may  as  well  return  to  the  chestnut 
tree,  and  perhaps  walk  to  the  beech-wood,  which 
you  saw  from  it." 

On  ascending  a  slight  acclivity,  a  more  exten- 
sive view  of  the  Chiem  Lake  became  visible,  and 
a  peasant's  house,  with  its  overhanging  roof  and 
long  balcony,  stood  before  them — it  was  built 
almost  in  the  mountain,  at  least  it  appeared  so  at 
a  little  distance  ;  a  noisy  stream  rushed  out  of 
the  rocks  beside  it,  and  formed  a  series  of  cas- 
cades, while  endeavouring  to  reach  the  green 
fields,  and  dark  wood  beneath.  Under  the  nu- 
merous fruit  trees  which  surrounded  the  house. 


•fcobenfels,  329 

with  their  overloaded  branches  bending  to  the 
ground,  were  several  wooden  benches ;  on  one 
of  these  A.  Z.  seated  herself,  while  Hamilton, 
attracted  by  the  light  from  some  windows  on  the 
ground-floor,  seemed  disposed  to  inspect  the 
premises  more  closely.  A  loud  chorus  of  voices 
made  him  hesitate. 

"  They  are  at  their  evening  prayers,"  observed 
A.  Z.,  "  it  is  better  not  to  disturb  them.  Come 
here,  and  listen  to  me.  You  have  not  often 
seen  a  house  more  beautifully  situated  than  this, 
most  probably  ! " 

"  Never." 

"  The  mountain  peasants  know  how  to  choose 
a  site  !  You  have  no  idea  how  highly  they  value 
a  view  of  this  kind,  or  how  they  feel  the  beauty 
of  their  scenery  ;  their  eyes  and  minds  are  from 
infancy  accustomed  to  grand  and  striking  forms 
— the  want  of  them  causes  the  ennui  and  listless- 
ness  called  Maladie  du  pays,  Nostalgic  or  Heim- 
weh,  from  which  all  mountaineers  suffer,  more  or 
less,  when  in  a  town  or  distant  from  their  moun- 
tains. I  can  understand  it,  as  I  have  actually 
felt  this  maladie,  for  which,  by  the  by,  we  have 
no  English  name,  when  I  was  obliged  to  remain 
in  Munich  for  some  time,  about  two  years  ago. 
The  peasant  to  whom  that  house  and  all  those 
fruitful  fields  below  us  belong,  is  about  deliber- 
ately to  die  of  this  most  lingering  and  melancholy 
disease  ;  he  intends  to  emigrate  to  America  !  " 

"  Oh,  what  a  fool  !  "  cried  Hamilton. 


330  tibe  initials. 


"  I  have  said  as  much  to  him,  but  in  rather 
more  civil  terms,"  answered  A.  Z.  ;  "  but  all  to 
no  purpose  ;  perhaps,  when  you  know  his 
motives,  you  may  think  differently,  though  I  can- 
not. The  extreme  cheapness  of  education  in 
Bavaria  is  a  great  temptation  to  the  peasants, 
when  their  sons  distinguish  themselves  at  the 
German  schools,  to  let  them  continue  their  edu- 
cation, learn  Latin,  and  afterwards  study  at  the 
University.  It  is  a  common  thing  for  them  to 
rise  to  eminence  in  the  learned  professions,  and 
the  eldest  son  of  my  friend  Felsenbauer  here 
would  most  probably  have  done  so,  had  it  not 
chanced  that  when  he  had  nearly  completed  his 
studies,  that  revolutionary  attempt  of  the  students 
took  place  in  the  year  1830,  of  which  you  may, 
perhaps,  have  heard.  Whether  or  not  he  was 
implicated,  is  unknown  ;  but  after  having  con- 
cealed himself  for  some  time,  and  found  that  all 
his  most  intimate  friends  had  been  imprisoned, 
he  wrote  to  his  father  for  money,  and  went  off 
to  America.  He  has  married  an  American,  and 
is  so  advantageously  placed  at  Cincinnati,  that 
he  is  most  desirous  to  have  his  family  near  him, 
and  his  letters  are  from  year  to  year  more  press^ 
ing.  The  old  man  is  now  only  waiting  to  find  a 
purchaser  for  his  house  and  grounds  !  " 

"  I  understand,"  said  Hamilton,  laughing ; 
"  you  think  that  house,  with  a  few  alterations, 
might  be  made  as  comfortable  as  it  is  pretty. 
What  price  does  he  demand  ?  " 


Scbetben*Scbte60en.  331 

"  About  twelve  hundred  pounds  ;  but  he  will 
not  get  more  than  a  thousand  for  it ;  and  is 
therefore  likely  to  have  to  wait  for  a  year  or  two 
before  he  finds  a  purchaser  ;  so  you  have  plenty 
of  time  either  to  buy  it,  or  change  your  mind, 
which  I  suspect  you  will  do  after  your  return 
home.  At  all  events  I  recommend  your  inspect- 
ing it  some  day  with  Herrmann,  who  understands 
such  things  perfectly — it  will  not  be  uninteresting 
to  you  to  know  the  financial  position  of  a  peasant 
of  this  kind,  and  if  he  have  the  smallest  hopes  of 
your  ever  being  a  purchaser,  he  will  unreservedly 
show  you  all  his  accounts." 

While  they  were  speaking,  the  peasant  and  his 
wife,  followed  by  their  second  son  and  daughter, 
came  out  of  the  house,  and  a  long  conversation 
ensued.  It  was  so  dark  when  A.  Z.  proposed 
leaving,  that  the  old  man  insisted  on  accompany- 
ing her  home  with  a  lantern. 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

THE  SCHEIBEN-SCHIESSEN  (TARGET  SHOOTING 
MATCH). 

DARON   Z returned  the   next  day,  was 

L'  delighted  to  see  Hamilton,  and  went 
about  with  him  everywhere,  showing  and 
explaining  whatever  he  thought  likely  to  in- 
terest him.  One  of  their  excursions  was  to  the 


332  tTbe  "Initials. 


marriage  of  a  wood-ranger  with  the  daughter  of 
an  innkeeper,  who  lived  deep  in  the  mountains. 
There  was  to  be  a  dance  and  target  shooting 
match  as  wedding  festivities  ;  and  it  was  with  no 
small  satisfaction  that  Hamilton,  at  an  unmen- 
tionably  early  hour  in  the  morning,  followed 

Baron  Z to  his  room  to  choose  one  of  his 

rifles  for  the  latter.  Hamilton  did  not,  as  on  a 
former  occasion,  listen  with  indifference  while 
he  descanted  on  their  merits,  but  examined 
them  carefully,  poised  them  in  his  hand,  and 
pointed  them  out  of  the  windows  at  the  little 
belfry  of  the  house  he  had  visited  with  A.  Z., 
and  which  he  now  chose  as  a  target. 

"  You  really  look  as  if  you  understood  what 
you  were  about,"  observed  A.  Z.,  who  was  pour- 
ing out  their  coffee.  "  If  you  have  gained  no- 
thing else  by  your  residence  in  Bavaria,  you  have 
at  least  learned  to  get  up  in  the  morning,  and  to 
use  a  rifle  !  " 

"  Both  decidedly  German  accomplishments," 
replied  Hamilton,  laughing,  "  and  learned,  in 
both  cases,  from  ladies.  Madame  Rosenberg 
and  the  Baroness  Waldorf  have  been  my  in- 
structresses, as  you  will  find  when  you  look  over 
my  journal." 

"Which  I  intend  to  do  to-day,  when  I  am 
alone  and  quiet,"  said  A.  Z.,  "  and  then  we  can 
talk  about  it  whenever  you  are  disposed." 

"  Time  to  be  off  !  "  cried  Baron  Z ;  and 

Hamilton  found  himself,  soon  after,  driving 


Sbe  Scbetben*5cbie0sen.  333 

through  the  wildest  passes  of  the  mountain  at  an 
hour  which  he  had  formerly  considered  ought  to 
be  devoted  to  sleep  in  a  darkened  chamber. 

The  road  was  still  in  shadow,  though  the  sun 
shone  brightly  on  the  rocks  above  them,  and  it 
was  only  through  an  occasional  cleft  in  them,  or 
a  widening  of  the  pass  through  which  the  road 
lay,  that  the  warm  rays  occasionally  tempered 
the  bracing  morning  air.  For  the  first  time  since 
Hamilton  had  left  the  Rosenbergs,  he  felt  ex- 
hilarated— disposed  to  enjoy  life  as  he  had  for- 
merly done.  It  must  not  be  supposed  that  he 
was  beginning  to  forget  Hildegarde — quite  the 
contrary — his  mental  struggles  were  over ;  ab- 
sence, that  surest  test  of  affection,  had  proved  to 
him  that  without  her  the  best  years  of  his  life 
would  be  clouded  ;  so  completely  had  the  world, 
and  all  relating  to  it,  been  changed  to  him  dur- 
ing the  last  year,  so  different  were  all  his  ideas 
from  what  they  had  been,  that  his  recollections 
of  home  were  becoming  ruins,  and  it  was  with 
difficulty  that  his  imagination  supplied  the 
broken  walls  and  crumbling  windowsills  of  his 
former  splendid  visions  of  pomp  and  riches.  His 
only  fears  now  were  of  Hildegarde  herself,  he 
half  dreaded  a  repulse  ;  but  he  had  resolved  to 
brave  even  that ;  and  since  his  resolutions  had 
been  formed,  he  had  again  begun  to  feel  pleasure 
in  everything  surrounding  him.  When  Baron 

Z stepped  out  of  the  little   low   carriage, 

which  he  called  a  "  sausage,"  to  gather  bunches 


334  Gbe  •ffmttals. 


of  the  beautiful  wild  rhododendron,  commonly 
called  Alpen  rosen,  Hamilton  sprang  joyously  up 
the  side  of  the  mountain  with  him,  and  experi- 
enced a  boyish  satisfaction  in  scrambling  higher 
and  higher  still,  to  obtain  a  branch  with  deeply- 
coloured  flowers,  or  a  few  sweetly-scented  cycla- 
mens. 

Their  destination  was  a  village,  which  as 
nearly  resembled  a  nest  as  could  well  be  imag- 
ined, so  completely  was  it  surrounded  by  moun- 
tains, all  wooded  nearly  to  the  summit ;  there 
were  about  thirty  houses  and  two  large  inns. 

Baron  Z 's  brewery  supplied  the  place  with 

beer,  and  it  was,  as  he  informed  Hamilton,  in 
the  characters  of  a  brewer  and  his  friend  that 
they  that  day  appeared.  They  were,  however, 
persons  of  considerable  importance,  as  Hamilton 
soon  discovered,  for  the  marriage  had  been  de- 
layed until  their  arrival,  and  the  gay  procession 
was  then  first  formed,  with  which  preceded  by 
loud  music,  in  which  a  flageolet  contended  in 
vain  with  a  couple  of  horns  for  predominance, 
they  marched  to  the  church.  Hamilton,  on  per- 
ceiving that  all  the  men  had  large  bouquets  of 
flowers,  and  streaming  ribbons  in  their  hats,  im- 
mediately decorated  his  with  Alpen  rosen.  As  to 

Baron  Z ,  neither  he  nor  any  of  the  other 

numerous  gentlemen  who  came  in  the  course  of 
the  day  to  shoot,  could  be  distinguished  at  a  lit- 
tle distance  from  the  peasants.  The  strong 
shoes,  worsted  stockings,  black  breeches,  leather 


Scbeiben=Scbiessen.  335 


belts  with  their  curiously  worked  initials,  loose 
grey  shooting-jackets,  and  slouched  hats  with 
black  cock  feathers,  were  common  to  all.  A 
nice  observer  might,  perhaps,  have  discovered  a 
difference  in  the  materials,  but  even  that  was 
generally  avoided.  If  ever  a  German  noble- 
man feels  that  those  who  are  not  in  his  class  are 
equal  or  superior  to  him,  it  is  at  a  Scheiben- 
Schiessen.  There  the  best  shot  is  the  best  man. 
The  consciousness  of  strength  and  power,  which 
the  free  use  of  arms,  and  the  habit  of  seeking 
pleasure  and  fame  in  their  dexterous  use  beget, 
is  not  without  its  national  importance  ;  such  men 
can  scarcely  fail  to  make  good  soldiers,  or  defend 
their  mountain  homes  in  time  of  war. 

Excepting  while  they  dined,  Baron  Z  - 
never  ceased  shooting.  Hamilton,  contented 
with  having  acquitted  himself  creditably,  began 
at  the  end  of  a  couple  of  hours  to  wander 
about  :  he  first  looked  into  the  room  where  the 
wedding  banquet  was  being  slowly  served  :  it 
had  already  lasted  more  than  three  hours,  which 
is  scarcely  to  be  wondered  at,  as  between  the 
courses,  the  more  youthful  part  of  the  company 
made  their  way  up  the  crowded  staircase  to  a 
large  room  under  the  roof,  where  they  danced  ; 
the  measured  sound  of  the  waltz  step  forming  a 
sort  of  metronome  to  the  musicians,  who,  at 
times,  seemed  more  attentive  to  the  movements 
of  those  about  them  than  their  occupation,  there- 
by occasionally  producing  such  extraordinary 


336  Ube  flnttials. 


and  wild  sounds  that  Hamilton  allowed  himself 
to  be  pushed  up  the  stairs  into  their  immediate 
vicinity.  Finding  a  quiet  corner,  he  tranquilly 
smoked  his  cigar  and  looked  on,  an  amused  spec- 
tator of  a  scene  which  formed  for  him  a  picture 
of  the  most  interesting  description,  from  its 
novelty  and  thoroughly  national  character. 

The  room,  spacious  and  well-floored,  was  im- 
mediately under  the  roof,  of  which  the  rafters 
and,  on  close  inspection,  the  tiles  were  visible. 
The  musicians,  placed  in  a  corner  and  well  sup- 
plied with  beer,  blew,  whistled,  and  scraped  with 
all  their  might,  the  violoncello,  with  its  eternal 
tonic,  dominant,  and  subdominant,  acting  as 
whipper-in  to  the  other  instruments.  The  trum- 
pet, occasionally  raised  to  one  of  the  windows  in 
the  roof,  informed  the  absent  of  the  opportunity 
they  were  losing,  or  served  as  an  invitation  to 
the  lazy.  Diminutive  beer  barrels,  connected 
with  strong  planks,  formed  seats  along  the  walls, 
and  on  them  the  half  breathless  dancers,  in 
their  picturesque  costumes,  occasionally  sat  and 
rested  ;  a  few  elderly  peasants  were  established 
round  a  table  behind  the  door,  and  near  them 
stood  a  fine  specimen  of  a  rustic  exclusive,  with 
his  arms  folded,  and  bright  blue  eyes  audaciously 
following  each  dancing  pair  as  they  passed  ;  he 
lounged  against  the  wall,  until  seeing  some 
known,  or  loved,  or  pretty  girl,  he  was  moved  to 
touch  her  partner  on  the  shoulder,  and  however 
unwilling  the  latter  might  be,  he  was  obliged  in 


ftbe  5cbefben=5cbte0sen.  337 

courtesy  to  resign  her  until  she  had  taken  some 
turns  round  the  room  with  the  interloper,  who, 
on  returning  her  to  her  partner,  thanked  Aim, 
and  the  flushed  and  panting  girl  invariably 
looked  delighted  at  this  most  approved  mode  of 
publicly  doing  her  homage.  Hamilton  observed 
about  half  a  dozen  beauties  who  never  were 
allowed  to  rest  for  one  moment. 

Light  and  shade  were  disposed  as  the  most 
fastidious  painter  could  desire  ;  the  rays  of  the 
afternoon  sun,  as  they  entered  by  the  open  win- 
dows, rendered  even  the  tremulous  motion  of  the 
air  and  the  usually  imperceptible  particles  of 
dust  apparent,  while  the  gradually  dispersing 
light  made  the  silver-laced  bodices  of  the  women 
glitter,  and  the  beaming  faces  of  the  men  to  glow 
more  deeply.  Here  for  the  first  time  Hamilton 
saw  the  real  Ldndler  danced,  the  waltz  in  all  its 
nationality — as  unlike  anything  he  had  ever 
heard  so  denominated  as  could  well  be  imagined. 
It  was  a  German  fandango  with  nailed  shoes  in- 
stead of  castanets,  but  there  was  life,  energy,  and 
enjoyment  in  every  movement.  The  origin  of 
the  name  of  waltz  for  this  dance  is  from  walzen, 
to  turn  round,  and  this  the  dancers  did  regularly, 
though  not  quickly  when  together,  but  they  often 
separated,  and  then  the  movements  were  as  un- 
certain as  various,  accompanied  on  the  part  of 
the  men  by  the  snapping  of  fingers,  clapping 
their  knees  with  both  hands,  and  springing  in  the 
air,  while  ever  and  anon  they  uttered  a  piercing 

VOL.  II. — 23 


338  abe  flnitials. 


peculiar  cry,  something  between  shouting  and 
singing.  During  the  time  the  men  performed 
these  wild  gesticulations,  their  partners  waltzed 
on  demurely  before  them,  and  when  they  joined 
each  other  again  it  was  usually  with  a  few  de- 
cided foot  stampings  that  they  recommenced 
their  rotary  motions. 

It  was  long  before  Hamilton  felt  disposed  to 
leave  this  scene  of  rustic  festivity  ;  when  he  did 
so,  it  was  but  to  witness  another  of  a  different 
kind,  for  as  the  evening  approached,  and  the 
noise  of  the  rifles  began  by  degrees  to  cease,  all 
the  singers  and  zither  players  in  the  neighbour- 
hood assembled  in  the  garden  ;  it  was  in  the 
midst  of  them  that  Hamilton  was  found  by 

Baron  Z ,  and  though  he  soon  after  joined 

the  latter  and  his  friends  at  another  table,  he 
still  turned  round  and  endeavoured  to  hear  the 
words  or  hum  the  chorus  of  their  songs. 

"  Our  national  music  seems  to  interest  you," 
observed  an  elderly  gentleman  in  a  green  shoot- 
ing jacket,  drawing  his  chair  close  to  Hamilton's. 

"  Very  much,  but  I  find  it  rather  difficult  to 
understand  the  words,  though  I  hear  them  very 
distinctly." 

"  Of  course  you  do  ;  a  foreigner  must  always 
find  it  difficult  to  understand  our  different 
dialects,  and  we  have  many." 

Baron  Z took  a  little  book  of  songs  out  of 

his  pocket  and  handed  it  to  Hamilton,  who, 
after  a  few  unsuccessful  attempts,  at  length  was 


Gbe  Scbetben=ScfMe0sett.  339 

able  to  read  and  understand  one  of  them.  "  Are 
these  songs  ancient  or  modern  ? "  he  asked  after 
a  pause. 

"These,"  answered  Baron  Z ,  "  are  of  an 

uncertain  age,  and  are  common  in  the  Bavarian 
highlands ;  but  we  have  some  national  songs 
of  the  same  description  which  are  extremely 
ancient." 

"We  know,"  observed  the  elderly  gentleman, 
"  we  know  from  the  poems  of  Walter  von  der 
Vogelweide  that  even  at  the  end  of  the  twelfth 
century  the  peasants  had  their  own  songs,  which, 
to  the  great  annoyance  of  the  celebrated  poet, 
were  gladly  heard  and  highly  valued  by  the 
princes  and  knights  of  his  time.  The  highest 
nobles  then  danced  to  their  own  songs,  as  you 
may  sometimes  see  the  Austrian  peasants  do  to 
this  day.  The  rhymes  of  the  Niebelungenlied* 
and  other  old  German  epic  poems  are  precisely 
of  the  same  description  as  these  songs,  which  is 
also  a  proof  of  their  antiquity." 

"  And  is  the  music  as  old  as  the  poetry  ?  " 
asked  Hamilton. 

"  I  believe  so,"  replied  Baron  Z ;  "  it  was 

intended  for  dancing  as  well  as  singing,  as  the 
universal  name  of  Schnadder-hiipfen  denotes  ;  the 
word  schnadder  means  to  talk  or  chat,  and  hupfen 
to  jump  or  dance  about." 

1  The  Niebelungenlied  is  a  very  ancient  poem,  greatly 
valued  but  little  read — like  the  works  of  Chaucer  and 
Spenser  in  England. 


340  ttbe  flnftials. 


"  And  is  all  your  old  national  music  of  this 
gay  Schnadder-hupfen  description,"  asked  Hamil- 
ton. 

"  Oh,  no,  we  have  melancholy  and  sentimental 
too,  but  our  mountaineers  are  too  gay  and  happy 
a  people  to  allow  the  mournful  to  predominate, 
or  even  to  have  its  due  share  in  their  music  ;  the 
sorrowful  thought  of  one  verse  is  sure  to  find 
consolation  in  the  jesting  contradiction  in  the 
next.  The  Alpine  songs  are  generally  of  this 
description,  and  the  girls  who  have  the  charge  of 
the  cows  on  the  Alps  sing  them  together,  and 
continue  to  do  so  after  they  have  left  the  moun- 
tains, which  has  caused  them  to  become  familiar 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  valleys.  Then  there  is 
the  jodel,  the  song  without  words,  which  has  so 
much  resemblance  to  the  ranz  des  vetches  of  the 
Swiss,  and  which  requires  both  practice  and 
compass  of  voice." 

"  Oh,  I  remember,"  said  Hamilton,  "  what  you 
and  some  of  the  others  sang  when  we  were  on 
the  chamois  hunt  last  year ;  sometimes  it 
sounded  like  water  bubbling,  and  then  came 
some  queer  high  notes  and  a  sort  of  shout — it 
was  quite  adapted  to  the  mountains — quite  beau- 
tiful when  there  was  an  echo.  I  should  like  to 
learn  it." 

"  You  will  find  it  more  difficult  than  you  im- 
agine," said  Baron  Z ,  "  that  is  if  you  have 

ever  learned  to  sing  ;  my  wife  has  never  been 
able  to  manage  it,  and  she  has  often  tried." 


Gbe  Scbefben*Scbfes6en.  341 

"  I  shall  learn  tojodel  and  play  the  zither,  too," 
said  Hamilton,  "  that  is  if  I  ever  come  to  reside 
in  Germany." 

"//","  said  Baron  Z ,  and  then  he  joined 

in  the  chorus  of  the  song  which  was  being  sung 
at  the  table  nearest  them. 

"  How  different  the  same  scene  looks  in  the 
gradually  increasing  light  of  early  morning,  and 
the  deepening  shades  of  approaching  evening  !  " 

observed  Baron  Z ,  as  he  leaned  back  in  the 

carriage  on  their  way  home,  and  looked  along 
the  valley  through  which  the  road  lay  ;  it  had 
become  so  narrow  that  it  seemed  about  to  close 
altogether,  while  a  towering  mountain,  facing 
them  as  they  advanced,  appeared  to  prevent  all 
further  progress  ;  and  yet  I  scarcely  know  which 
is  to  be  preferred  in  a  country  of  this  descrip- 
tion." 

"  The  evening,  certainly  the  evening,"  said 
Hamilton,  looking  round  ;  "  but  a  little  earlier  ; 
the  sun  should  still  be  on  those  rocks  above  us 
and  make  them  successively  yellow,  red,  copper- 
coloured,  and  violet,  as  I  have  seen  them  every 
evening  from  the  garden  of  Hohenfels." 

"  I  wish,"  said  Baron  Z ,  "  I  wish  that  we 

could  see  them  from  the  top  of  our  alp  to-night ; 
we  cannot  expect  this  unclouded  weather  to  last 
much  longer." 

"  Have  you  an  alp  of  your  own  ? "  asked 
Hamilton. 


342  Gbe  flnittats. 


"  No  ;  but  I  have  rented  one  for  the  last  two 
years,  and  find  it  answers  very  well,  the  greater 
part  of  my  cattle  are  there  now.  It  was  not,  how- 
ever, of  my  cows  and  calves  that  I  was  thinking, 
but  of  the  chamois  on  the  mountain  near  the 

alp,  of  which  the  Forster  from  G told  me 

this  morning.  Now,  as  you  acquitted  yourself 
so  well  to-day  at  the  Schetben-Schiessen,  I  do  not 
see  why  you  should  not  become  a  sportsman  at 
once." 

"  Do  you  think  I  should  have  any  chance  ? " 

"  Why  not  ?  You  must  make  a  beginning 
some  time  or  other." 

"  I  suppose  game  is  very  plentiful  here  ? "  said 
Hamilton. 

"  Not  what  you  call  plenty,  at  least  we  have 
not  grouse  or  black  cocks  as  my  wife  tells  me 
you  have  in  Scotland." 

"  But  I  have  heard  of  splendid  battues  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Munich." 

"  I  dare  say,  in  the  royal  chase,  where  eight  or 
nine  hundred  hares,  and  other  game  in  propor- 
tion, have  been  shot  in  one  afternoon — but  that 
is  not  my  idea  of  sport.  I  prefer  a  chamois 
hunt  to  all  others,  next  to  that,  black  cock  ;  and 
I  am  quite  satisfied  if  I  shoot  three  or  four  dur- 
ing the  season." 

"  Are  the  black  cock  so  difficult  to  get  at  ? " 

"  More  troublesome  than  difficult,  though  I 
have  occasionally  found  them  almost  as  high  on 
the  mountains  as  the  chamois  !  It  is  the  waiting 


tTbe  Scbeiben*Scbfeasen.  343 

and  watching — the  being  up  before  sunrise,  that 
gives  me  an  interest,  though  it  generally  disgusts 
others  whose  actual  profession  it  does  not  happen 
to  be." 

"  I  suppose,"  said  Hamilton,  "  it  is  the  actual 
profession  of  those  Forsters  ?  There  was  one 
near  the  Iron  Works,  and  he  always  supplied 
Madame  Rosenberg  with  game  ; — she  paid  him 
for  it,  however." 

"  Of  course  she  did,"  replied  Baron  Z , 

laughing  ;  "  and  if  you  shoot  a  chamois  you  must 
pay  for  it  too,  that  is,  if  you  wish  to  keep  it.  I 
have  myself  no  game  whatever,  but  as  the  Fors- 
ter  rents  the  whole  chase  in  my  neighborhood 
from  government,  I  have  as  much  sport  as  I 
please,  and  in  fact  as  much  game  too  ;  I  pay  for 
whatever  I  retain,  and  so  do  all  the  others  to 
whom  he  has  given  the  permission  to  shoot  ;  but 
I  suspect  his  profits  are  not  great,  for  we  have  a 
number  of  Wildschiitzen,  wild  hunters — poachers 
you  call  them,  I  believe,  in  England." 

"  Yes,  one  hears  of  them  continually  in  the 
country  ;  I  begin  to  have  a  faint  idea  that  they 
may  be  great  nuisances." 

"  I  have  no  intention  of  exactly  undertaking 

their  defence,"  said  Baron  Z ,  "  but  here  in 

the  mountains,  where  almost  every  man  is  a  good 
shot,  and  the  ideas  of  some  are  rather  confused 
as  to  the  better  right  which  one  man  may  have 
more  than  another  to  shoot  an  animal  roaming 
about  among  the  rocks — the  crime  is,  to  say  the 


344  tTbe  ffnttfals. 


leastv  venial.  I,  for  my  part,  would  never  pursue  a 
Wildschiitzen  with  the  wish  to  catch  him  ;  but 
between  them  and  the  Forsters  there  is  the  most 
implacable  hatred  and  deadly  war.  When  they 
meet  without  witnesses,  it  not  unfrequently 
happens  that  they  fire  at  each  other  !  If  the 
Forster  fall,  he  is  immediately  missed  ;  if  the 
Wildschiitz,  it  often  remains  long  undiscov- 
ered. Last  winter  the  body  of  a  young  man 
was  found  on  one  of  the  mountains  here,  several 
weeks  after  his  friends  had  first  privately,  and 
then  publicly,  sought  him.  There  is  little  doubt 
that  he  was  shot  by  one  of  our  wood-rangers, 
and  the  man  was  immediately  arrested,  but  no 
sort  of  proof  could  be  obtained  ;  the  day  of  the 
young  man's  death  was  unknown,  the  wood- 
ranger  had  been  on  that  mountain,  but  also  on 
others  about  the  supposed  time — shots  had  been 
heard  by  some  wood-cutters,  but  not  more  than 
could  be  accounted  for  by  the  game  brought 
home  ;  in  short,  he  was  set  at  liberty  ;  but  the 
fate  of  the  Wildschiitz,  who  was  a  handsome, 
good-humoured  fellow,  created  much  interest  and 
pity  ;  so  you  see  there  is  so  much  danger,  and  so 
little  profit,  so  much  romance,  and  so  little  vul- 
garity about  them  altogether,  that  they  are  not 
unfrequently  the  subject  of  a  song  or  the  hero  of 
a  legend.  I  am  not  even  quite  sure  that  the  sus- 
picion of  a  young  man  being  at  times  a  wild 
hunter  would  injure  him  in  the  opinion  of  any 
girl  born  and  bred  among  the  mountains  !  " 


ftbe  Scbeiben*Scbie6sen.  345 

"  1  dare  say  not,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  women 
higher  born,  and  better  bred,  have  not  unfre- 
quently  similar  feelings,  and  the  very  word  is 
in  itself  the  essence  of  romance  !  You  must 
allow  that  it  sounds  a  vast  deal  better  than 
Forster,  or  Forstmeisier,  or  Forstcommissioner, 
or  Forstinspector.  Everybody  seems  to  be  Fiirst 
something  in  this  part  of  the  world." 

"  And  are  we  not  surrounded  by  forests  ?  Are 
not  all  our  mountains  covered  with  wood  ? " 
asked  Baron  Z ,  laughing  ;  "  can  you  won- 
der that,  in  a  country  where  wood  is  used  as 
fuel,  the  care  and  culture  of  it  should  be  of  the 
greatest  importance  ? " 

"  Then  these  Forsters  are  not  a — exactly 
game-keepers  ?  " 

"  No  ;  the  preserving  of  the  game  is,  however, 
always  in  connection  with  the  woods  and  for- 
ests., The  Forstmeister,  Forstactuar^  Forsters,  and 
Forstpracticants  are  appointed  by  government  ; 
the  under  Forster,  or  wood-ranger,  is  the  only 
'thing  at  all  answering  to  your  idea  of  game- 
keeper." 

"  And  what  have  they  all  to  do  ?  "  asked  Ham- 
ilton. 

"  Can  you  not  imagine  the  care  of  all  these 
woods  giving  a  number  of  people  employment  ?  " 

asked  Baron  Z ,  looking  round  him.  "The 

never-ending  felling  and  drifting,  and  selling  and 
planting  ;  the  corrections  of  the  rivers  used  for 
drifting  ;  the  care  of  the  game,  and  a  hundred 


346  Gbe  -ffnitfals. 


other  things,  which  I  do  not  just  now  remember. 
The  Fdrstwesen,  as  we  call  it  here,  requires  as 
much,  and  as  peculiar  study  at  the  University,  as 
theology,  philosophy,  law,  physic,  or  any  other 
branch  of  learning.  Had  I  been  given  my 
choice,  I  should  have  preferred  it  to  all  others." 

"  And  what  did  you  study  ?  I  mean  espe- 
cially ?  " 

"  Law,"  answered  Baron  Z ,  and  while  he 

spoke  the  carriage  rolled  into  the  paved  court  of 
Hohenfels. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

A    DISCOURSE. 

""THERE  had  been  a  thunder-storm  during  the 
night,  and  the  rain  descended  the  next 
morning  in  torrents.  "  I  fear,  Hamilton,  our 
party  must  be  put  off  for  a  short  time  !  "  ob- 
served Baron  Z ,  as  he  walked  from  one  win- 
dow to  the  other,  in  a  disconsolate  manner,  after 
breakfast.  "  How  I  detest  a  hopeless  day  of  this 
kind  !  " 

"  I  remember,"  said  A.  Z.,  "  that  when  I  was 
an  accomplished  young  lady,  I  rather  liked  a  day 
of  rain  when  I  had  a  drawing  to  finish,  or  a  new 
song  to  study — I  do  not  dislike  it  to-day  either, 
but  for  a  very  different  reason.  Had  it  been 
fine,  I  must  have  gone  to  the  alp,  to  do  the  hon- 


B  SMecourse.  347 

ors  of  my  dairy  to  Mr.  Hamilton,  and  now, 
without  any  incivility  on  my  part,  I  can  stay  at 
home  and  quietly  inspect  the  making  of  a  hun- 
dred-weight of  soap,  which  cannot  be  any 
longer  delayed,  and  I  expect,"  she  added,  turn- 
ing to  Hamilton,  "  or  rather  I  hope,  on  your  way 
from  the  brewery,  where  of  course  you  will  go  to 
smoke  with  Hermann,  you  will  visit  me — in  the 
wash-house." 

"  And  can  you  really  make  soap  ? "  asked 
Hamilton,  rather  surprised. 

"  I  really  can,  and  really  do,  as  you  shall  see — 
but,  perhaps,  you  don't  care  about  soap-boiling  ?  " 

"  I — rather  hoped — that,  perhaps,  to-day  you 
would  have  had  time  to  talk  to  me  about " 

"  Oh  !  I  always  find  time  to  talk,"  said  A.  Z., 
"  my  soap  will  be  ready  before  dinner  ;  it  was  be- 
gun yesterday  evening,  and  has  been  boiling  all 
the  morning,  so  you  see  after  our  coffee  we 
shall  have  the  whole  afternoon,  and  no  chance 
of  visitors  !  " 

Just  as  all  the  bells  in  the  neighbourhood  were 
chiming  noon,  Hamilton  walked  into  the  wash- 
house,  and  there  found  A.  Z.  standing  beside  an 
immense  boiler,  filled  with  a  substance  very 
much  resembling  porridge  ;  she  was  examining 
some  of  it,  as  it  trickled  down  a  piece  of  flat 
wood,  which  she  held  in  her  hand,  and  having 
dipped  her  finger  into  it,  and  found  that  it 
formed  what  she  called  a  thimble,  she  appeared 
satisfied.  Some  few  directions  she  gave  to  a  lit- 


348  Ebe  Ifnitiats. 


tie  old  woman,  who  seemed  very  learned  on  the 
subject  of  soap-boiling,  and  then  she  wound  her 
way  through  the  surrounding  tubs  and  buckets 
and  pails  to  Hamilton,  and  with  him  went  un- 
ceremoniously to  dinner. 

When  Hamilton,  a  couple  of  hours  afterwards, 
joined  A.  Z.  in  the  drawing-room,  he  found  her 
turning  over  the  last  leaves  of  his  journal,  as  she 
sat  in  a  large  arm-chair,  beside  the  slightly  heated 
stove.  She  turned  round  immediately  and  ob- 
served :  "  Well,  Mr.  Hamilton,  you  '  rather 
hoped  I  should  find  time  to  talk.'  I  have  time 
now,  and  only  wait  to  hear  what  is  to  be  the 
subject  of  conversation." 

He  drew  a  chair  close  to  her,  and  said,  "  First 
of  "all — your  opinion  of  Hildegarde.  Does  she 
care  for  me  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  she  does,"  answered  A.  Z. 

"  How  can  you  say,  '  afraid,'  when  you  know 
it  is  what  I  most  wish — my  only  chance  of  happi- 
ness !  I  fear  nothing  but  a  refusal  now.  Have 
you  not  observed  that  she  has  never  said  a  word 
which  could  make  me  for  a  moment  imagine 
she  cared  in  the  least  for  me  ?  " 

"  Judge  her  actions,  and  not  her  words,"  an- 
swered A.  Z. 

"  And  if  her  actions  should  denote  more  friend- 
ship than  love  ? " 

"  The  friendship  of  a  girl  of  eighteen  for  a 
man  of  one-  or  two-and-twenty  is  very  apt  to  de- 
generate into  love." 


B  2>i0course.  349 


"  And  you  call  that  degenerating  ?  " 

A.  Z.  nodded  her  head,  and  said,  "  We  have 
no  time  to  discuss  that  matter  now,  nor  is  it 
necessary  ;  but  there  is  something  I  should  like 
to  say  to  you,  if  you  will  allow  me." 

"I  allow  you — wish  you  to  say  anything, 
everything  you  please." 

"  Before  1  read  your  journal,"  she  continued, 
turning  quite  round  to  him,  "  I  was  disposed  only 
to  think  of  you,  and  your  interests,  and  recom- 
mended you  to  return  home,  without  again  seeing 
Mademoiselle  Rosenberg,  or  entering  into  any 
engagement  with  her.  I  give  you  the  same  advice 
now — but — for  her  sake — on  her  account !  " 

"  And  this  you  say,  supposing  her  attached  to 
me,  and  knowing  that  I  am  willing  to  sacrifice 
everything  I  most  value  for  her  !  "  said  Hamil- 
ton. 

"  Yes,  I  consider  the  whole  affair  as  the  purest 
specimen  of  first  love  that  it  is  possible  to  im- 
agine ;  so  sincere  on  both  sides,  that,  were  there 
no  impediments  to  your  marriage,  I  think  you 
might  pass  your  lives  very  happily  together  ;  but 
the  sacrifices  you  are  about  to  make  she  will  not, 
I  fear,  be  able  properly  to  estimate,  and  you 
must  be  very  different  from  most  young  men  of 
your  age  and  position  in  the  world,  if  you  have 
steadiness  enough,  after  two  whole  years'  absence, 
to  return  here,  change  all  your  habits,  and  bury 
yourself  in  these  mountains  for  the  rest  of  your 
life  !  " 


350  abe  flnitials. 


"I  think — I  am  almost  sure,  that  for  Hilde- 
garde  I  can  do  so." 

"  If  you  do,  I  shall  have  a  colossal  respect  for 
your  character  ;  but  in  the  meantime  forgive 
my  doubting  it.  Your  uncle  will  send  you  to 
Paris,  give  you  unlimited  command  of  money, 
the  temptations  are  great  there,  and  with  your 
brother  John,  and  your  cousin  Harry  as  com- 
panions, I  fear  that  at  the  end  of  the  first  year 
you  will  write  Mademoiselle  Rosenberg  a  letter  to 
say,  'that  finding  it  impossible  to  obtain  the  con- 
sent of  your  family  to  your  union,  you  will  not 
drag  the  woman  you  love  into  poverty  ! '  I  believe 
this  is  the  usual  phrase  used  on  such  occasions  ? 
And  you  can  do  this,  without  even  incurring  the 
censure  of  the  world,  for  who  knows  anything 
of  Hildegarde  ?  No  one  will  ever  hear  that,  for 
your  sake,  she  has  refused  Max  Zedwitz,  and 
that  she  will  again  do  so,  if  engaged  to  you,  is  a 
matter  of  course  ;  and  no  one  will  know  that 
your  desertion  will  condemn  her  either  to  being 
a  governess  or  to  a  nunnery  for  the  rest  of  her 
life,  for  she  will  never  marry  a  Major  Stultz,  or  a 
Forster  Weidmann  !"  A.  Z.  paused,  but  as  Hamil- 
ton did  not  speak,  she  continued,  "  I  see  my 
doubts  rather  offend  you,  but  such  conduct  is,  I 
am  sorry  to  say,  common,  and  I  know  you  too 
little  to  estimate  your  character  as  it,  perhaps, 
deserves.  And  now  let  us  consider  the  other 
side  of  the  question — I  mean  Hildegarde's — she 


8  ^Discourse.  351 


has  never,  you  say,  betrayed  herself  to  you, 
still  less,  I  am  sure  to  anyone  else.  To  most 
women,  the  feeling  of  wounded  pride,  the  sense 
of  shame  at  being  publicly  slighted  and  forsaken, 
is  quite  as  painful  to  bear  as  the  real  loss  of  the 
love  on  which  all  their  visions  of  future  happiness 
are  built — all  this  may  still  be  spared  Hildegarde. 
You  have  left  her  without  explanation,  she  thinks 
highly  of  you,  for  she  does  not  know  that  you 
could  have  acted  otherwise  than  as  you  have 
done — none  of  her  family  have  the  least  idea 
that  she  cares  for  you,  she  even  flatters  herself 
that  you  are  not  aware  of  it — she  will  long  re- 
member you  after  you  have  ceased  to  think  of 
her,  but  the  remembrance  will  be  unmixed  with 
pain.  When  Maximilian  again  meets  her,  she 
will  tell  him  that  she  never  can  return  his  affec- 
tion, that  she  never  can  feel  anything  but  friend- 
ship for  him — but  she  will  marry  him,  make  an 
excellent  wife,  too — and  may,  some  fine  day,  in 
this  room,  beside  this  very  stove,  quietly  talk  of 
you,  and  wonder  that  she  could  ever  have  pre- 
ferred anyone  to  her  excellent  husband,  whom 
we  may  suppose  sitting  just  where  you  are 
now  !  " 

"  Really  a  most  agreeable  picture  !  "  cried 
Hamilton,  with  ill-concealed  irritation  of  manner. 
"  And  pray  what  is  to  become  of  me  ?  " 

"  I  have  already  said  you  will  forget  more 
quickly  than  she  can  ;  and  so,  after  enjoying 


352  Cbe  Ifntttals. 


the  world  and  its  pomps  and  vanities  for  a  few 
years,  you  will  marry  a  Lady  Jane  or  Lady  Mary 
Somebody,  who  will  be  quite  as  amiable — if  not 
as  beautiful  as  Hildegarde  ? " 

"  You  are  considering  this  affair  much  too 
lightly,"  cried  Hamilton,  starting  from  his  chair 
almost  angrily.  "  You  talk  as  if  it  was  a  mere 
flirtation  !  " 

"  No  :  I  have  ceased  to  consider  it  as  such," 
rejoined  A.  Z.  gravely.  "  I  wish  to  save  you 
from  self-reproach,  and  Hildegarde  from  real 
unhappiness  hereafter.  The  bitterness  of  parting 
is  now  over  on  both  sides.  With  the  best  in- 
tentions in  the  world,  circumstances  might 
induce  you  to  write  the  letter  I  spoke  of — Hil- 
degarde's  feelings  now  are  very  different  from 
what  they  will  be  when  she  has  accustomed  her- 
self to  think  of  you  as  her  companion  for  life.  I 
would  willingly  save  her  youth  from  a  blight 
which,  however  her  pride  and  strength  of  mind 
may  enable  her  to  conceal  it,  will  prevent  the 
development  of  all  her  good  qualities,  and  per- 
haps turn  her  generous  confidence  into  suspicious 
distrust,  her  warmth  of  heart  into  callousness 
forever — but  I  have  now  said  enough — too 
much,  perhaps  "  ;  and  she  walked  to  the  window 

which  she  opened,  to  ask  Baron  Z ,  who  was 

in  the  court-yard,  what  he  thought  of  the 
weather. 

"  No  chance  of  a  change,"  he  answered  ;  "  the 
barometer  is  still  falling,  and  it  will  not  clear  up 


^Discourse.  353 


until  there  is  snow  on  the  mountain  tops,  most 
probably." 

"  That  is  the  only  disagreeable  thing  in  a 
mountainous  country,"  observed  A.  Z.,  turning 
to  Hamilton.  "  When  it  begins  to  rain,  it  never 
knows  how  or  when  to  stop.  I  am  sorry,  on 
your  account,  that  the  fine  weather  has  not 
lasted  a  little  longer ;  but  to-morrow  we  shall 
have  a  box  of  new  books,  and  perhaps  you 
may  find  something  to  interest  you  among 
them." 

"  I  am  sure,"  said  Hamilton,  "  that  you  will 
agree  with  me  in  thinking  that  I  ought  not  delay 
my  return  to  Munich  even  a  day  longer,  now 
that  I  have  quite  decided  on  my  future  plans.  I 
wish,  if  possible,  to  prevent  Hildegarde  from 
going  to  Frankfort,  where  that  Mademoiselle 
Hortense  intended  to  send  her." 

"  I  scarcely  know  what  I  ought  to  say,"  replied 
A.  Z.  "  It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  you  will 
remain  here  listening  to  my  long  stories  and  the 
rain  pattering  against  the  windows,  when  you 
have  a  good  excuse  for  leaving." 

"  A  reason — not  an  excuse,"  said  Hamilton. 

"Well  then,"  said  A.  Z.,  as  she  closed  the  win- 
dow, "  though  I  do  not  ask  you  to  give  me  a  lock 
of  your  hair,  I  feel  so  much  interested  in  your 
affairs,  that  I  hope  you  will  '  Trust  me,  and  let 
me  know  your  love's  success,'  in  a  few  lines  which 
you  may  find  time  to  write  to  me  after  you  have 
reached  home." 


354  Sbe  Unitials. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

ANOTHER  KIND  OF  DISCOURSE. 

^TWENTY-FOUR  hours  afterwards,  Hamilton 
•*  was  in  Munich  on  his  way  to  Major  Stultz's. 
He  had  not  yet  taken  leave  of  Crescenz,  and 
hoped,  when  ostensibly  doing  so,  to  obtain  from 
her  some  information  about  her  sister's  plans  and 
prospects.  His  old  acquaintance,  Walburg,  was 
delighted  to  see  him,  informed  him  that  "  her 
mistress  was  at  home,  quite  alone — the  Major 
has  gone  to  sup  with  some  officers  who  had  been 
in  Russia  with  him  "  ;  and  while  speaking,  she 
threw  open  the  drawing-room  door.  Crescenz 
turned  round,  and  then,  with  a  blush  of  pleasure 
rose  quickly  and  advanced  towards  Hamilton, 
exclaiming,  '  I  knew  you  would  not  leave  Bavaria 
without  coming  to  see  me  !  I  said  so  to  Blazius, 
and  to  Hildegarde  too  !  " 

"  So  you  have  spent  another  day  at  the  Iron 
Works,  and  can  tell  me  how  they  all  are." 

"  No,"  replied  Crescenz  ;  and  the  smile  faded 
from  her  features  as  she  added,  "  Hildegarde  was 
here,  on  her  way  to  Frankfort. 

"  So  she  is  gone — actually  gone  !  "  cried  Ham- 
ilton. 

"  She  left  us  the  day  before  yesterday.  Blazius 
says  he  is  glad  our  parting  is  over,  for  I  could 
do  nothing  but  cry  all  the  time  she  was  here." 

"  And  Hildegarde  ?  "  asked  Hamilton. 


Bnotber  f?in&  of-Discouree.  355 

"  She  appeared  quite  contented  with  her  future 
prospects,  and  tried  to  make  me  so  too." 

"  Quite  contented,  "  repeated  Hamilton. 

"  Yes  ;  Blazius  says  she  has  not  much  feeling, 
and  that  I  am  a  fool  to  waste  so  much  affection 
on  her  ;  but  he  does  not  know  how  kind  she  was 
to  me  for  so  many  years  at  school,  helping  me 
out  of  all  my  difficulties,  and  taking  my  part  on 
all  occasions — he  has  no  idea  what  Hildegarde 
can  do  to  those  she  loves  !  " 

"  Nor  I  either,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  Of  course  not,"  said  Crescenz,  smiling,  "  as 
she  only  latterly  began  to  like  you  ;  but  for  ten 
years  she  was  everything  to  me  !  After  we  left 
school,  indeed,  or  rather  from  the  time  we  were 
at  Seon,  she  changed  a  good  deal,  certainly.  You 
know  the  time  that " 

"  I  know,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  But  when  she  was  here  last  week,  she  was 
just  what  she  used  to  be  ;  I  could  have  fancied  we 
had  gone  back  two  or  three  years  of  our  lives." 

"  So  she  was  quite  cheerful !  "  said  Hamilton, 
with  a  constrained  smile.  "  It  seems  she  felt  no 
regret  at  quitting  the  Iron  Works  ?  " 

"  Not  much,  I  should  think,  when  you  were  no 
longer  there,"  answered  Crescenz. 

"  What !  What  do  you  mean  ? "  asked  Hamil- 
ton, eagerly. 

"  Why,  as  you  were  the  only  person  who  could 
talk  to  her — she  must  have  found  it  very  dull 
after  you  were  gone,  I  suppose." 


356  Gbe  Unitials. 


"  Oh  !  "  said  Hamilton,  "  Is  that  all  ?  Perhaps 
she  did  not  say  as  much — did  not  speak  of  me  at 
all  ? " 

"Oh  yes  ;  we  often  spoke  of  you,"  said  Cres- 
cenz,  nodding  her  head. 

"  I  flattered  myself,  at  one  time,  that  Hilde- 
garde  liked  me — "  began  Hamilton. 

"  She  does  like  you — she  said  so  repeatedly, 
and  quite  agreed  with  me  in  everything  about 
you,  but  she  does  not  like  you  as  Blazius  thought 
she  would  when  you  first  went  to  the  Iron 
Works.  He  said  then  it  was  very  inconsiderate  of 
mamma  to  take  you  there — that  she  ought  to 
have  insisted  on  your  leaving  the  house  when 
papa  died  !  " 

"  She  did  propose  my  leaving,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  Yes,  I  know — that  was  after  Blazius  had 
spoken  to  her — and  he  was  so  angry,  when  he 
heard  you  were  going  to  the  country,  after  all ! 
He  said — he  said " 

"  What  ? "  asked  Hamilton. 

"  That  with  such  opportunities,  he  should  not 
be  at  all  surprised  if  you  and  Hildegarde  went 
to — the — devil !  He  sometimes  does  use  such 
very  improper  words  !  " 

Hamilton  could  not  help  smiling. 

"You  think  I  am  joking,"  she  continued,  "  but 
I  assure  you,  he  said  such  dreadful  things,  that 
I  cannot  repeat  them — and  I  was  so  glad,  when 
I  went  to  the  Iron  Works,  to  perceive  that  Hil- 
degarde did  not  like  you — in  that  way " 


Bnotber  "fcinJ)  of  Discourse.  357 

"  In  what  way  ? "  asked  Hamilton,  irresistibly 
impelled  to  talk  to  her  as  he  had  in  former 
times.  She  blushed  so  deeply,  however,  and 
became  so  painfully  confused,  that  he  added 
gravely,  "  You  mean  that  you  saw  she  only  liked 
me  as  an  acquaintance,  or  friend,  and  I  believe 
you  are  right." 

"Yes,  that  is  exactly  what  I  meant,"  said 
Crescenz,  apparently  greatly  relieved,  "  for  that 
last  day,  when  you  seemed  to  like  Lina  Berger 
more  than  you  had  ever  done  either  of  us,  she 
did  not  in  the  least  mind  it — quite  laughed  at  the 
idea  !  " 

"  Did  she  ? "  said  Hamilton,  with  a  look  of 
annoyance,  which  Crescenz  alone  could  have 
failed  to  observe. 

"  Hildegarde  never  will  tell  me  anything  !  " 
she  continued,  "  but  I  have  made  a  discovery  all 
the  same ! " 

"  Have  you  ?  "  cried  Hamilton,  with  a  look  of 
interest,  which  her  observations  were  seldom 
calculated  to  produce.  "  What  is  it  ? " 

"  I  have  found  out,  at  last,  who  it  is  that  she 
really  loves." 

"  Indeed  !     Are  you  quite  sure  ? " 

"  You  shall  hear  how  I  found  out.  Lina  Ber- 
ger came  here,  not  to  take  leave  of  Hildegarde, 
for  you  know  they  dislike  each  other — but  be- 
cause she  wished  to  hear  something  about  you. 
Now,  Hildegarde  answered  all  her  questions  with 
the  greatest  composure,  and  when  Lina  found 


358  £be  Initials, 


that  she  could  not  embarrass  or  annoy  her  about 
you,  she  suddenly  turned  the  conversation  and 
spoke  of  Count  Zedwitz.  The  moment  she  pro- 
nounced his  name  Hildegarde's  whole  counte- 
nance changed,  and  then  Lina  went  on,  and  told 
her  that  the  old  Count  was  dying,  that  Dr.  Berger 
had  been  several  times  to  see  him,  and  said  he 
could  not  live  more  than  a  week  or  ten  days, 
and  that,  as  his  son  had  been  written  for,  and  was 
probably  on  his  way  home,  she  now  seriously  ad- 
vised Hildegarde  not  to  leave  Munich,  or  at  least 
Bavaria  until  all  chance  was  over  of  his  renewing 
his  proposal  of  marriage  to  her — that  is,  if  she 
had  still  the  slightest  hope  that  such  an  unheard 
of  good  fortune  was  in  store  for  her — above  all 
things  she  ought  to  avoid  going  to  Frankfort,  as, 
notwithstanding  all  Count  Zedwitz's  professions 
of  liberality,  the  idea  of  her  having  been  a  gov- 
erness might  be  revolting  to  him  !  " 

"  Poor,  dear  Hildegarde  !  "  cried  Hamilton, 
compassionately.  "  Was  she  very  angry  ?  " 

"  She  became  so  pale  and  agitated  that  I  ex- 
pected some  terrible  scene,  such  as  we  used  to 
have  at  school  ;  but  to  my  great  surprise,  she 
thanked  Lina  for  her  good  advice,  though  she 
did  not  mean  to  follow  it  ;  said  she  considered 
being  a  governess  no  sort  of  disgrace — rather 
the  contrary,  as  it  led  to  the  supposition  at  least, 
that  her  acquirements  were  more  than  common, 
and  that  what  Count  Zedwitz  might  think  on  the 
subject  was  at  present  a  matter  of  indifference  to 


another  fdnD  of  Discourse.  359 

her — and  then  she  went  out  of  the  room,  and  did 
not  return  until  Lina  was  gone." 

"  But,  surely,  you  do  not  infer  from  this  that 
she  loves  Zedwitz  !  "  cried  Hamilton,  cheerfully. 
"  It  seems  to  me  as  if  the  contrary  conclusion 
might  be  drawn." 

"  You  have  not  heard  all,"  said  Crescenz. 
"  After  Lina  was  gone,  though  I  knew  she  had 
only  been  trying  to  vex  Hildegarde,  I  thought 
the  advice  might  be  good,  as  Blazius  had  said 
several  times  that  it  would  be  such  an  excellent 
thing  if  that  cross  old  Count  would  die  at  once, 
and  leave  his  son  at  liberty  to  marry  Hilde- 
garde. It  is  very  wrong  to  wish  anybody  to  die, 
but  Blazius  does  not  mind  saying  things  of  that 
kind — I  don't  think  he  means  all  he  says  though, 
about  the  devil,  or  people  being  damned — it 
would  be  very  terrible  if  he  did — and  I  am  sure 
he  learned  all  those  odious  expressions  in  that 
frightful  Russian  campaign " 

"  Well,  a — and  so — "  said  Hamilton,  "  when 
Hildegarde  again  came  into  the  room,  you  prob- 
ably recommended  her  remaining  here  ?  " 

"  Yes — but  you  know,  I  never  could  expect 
Hildegarde  to  follow  my  advice  !  and  when  she 
refused,  I  only  just  ventured,  in  a  whisper,  to 
ask  her  if  she  thought  that  Count  Zedwitz  still 
loved  her — and  she  said,  '  Yes,  better  than  any 
one  ever  loved,  or  will  love  me — better  than  I 
deserve.'  and  then  she  went  to  the  window  and 
pretended  to  look  out,  but  I  saw  that  she  was 


360  Gbe  flnftiate. 


crying.  I  am  quite  sure  she  has  made  up  her 
mind  to  marry  him,  but  I  don't  understand  why 
she  is  so  unhappy  about  it,  especially  as  he  is  a 
count,  and  Hildegarde  is  so  fond  of  rank  !  " 

"  Is  she  ? "  said  Hamilton,  absently. 

"  Oh  yes,  rank,  riches,  station,  and  somebody 
to  love  her  exclusively — and  Count  Zedwitz  can 
give  her  all  these  things,  you  know  !  " 

"  Very  true — your  arguments  are  conclusive," 
said  Hamilton,  "  and  now  it  is  time  for  me  to 
go " 

"  But  you  will  come  again  !  "  said  Crescenz  ; 
"  you  will  come  to  take  leave  of  Blazius  ?" 

Hamilton  shook  his  head. 

"  Are  you  really  going  away  forever  ?  "  asked 
Crescenz  and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  she 
added,  in  a  slightly  tremulous  voice,  "  Hilde- 
garde said  we  should  never  hear  of,  never  see 
you  again  !  " 

"  And  she  said  it,  I  am  sure,  with  less  regret 
than  you  do  !  "  exclaimed  Hamilton  bitterly. 

"  I  dare  say  you  think  me  very  foolish," 
said  Crescenz,  trying  to  smile,  while  large  tears 
coursed  each  other  down  her  checks. 

"  I  think  you  very  kind,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  If  Blazius  were  at  home,  you  would  have 
stayed  a  little  longer,  perhaps.  I  wish  Blazius 
were  here." 

Hamilton  thought  it  was  quite  as  well  he  was 
not,  but  did  not  say  so  ;  and  after  taking  leave 
of  her,  much  more  affectionately  than  he  had 


ZTbe  3-ourneg  t>ome  Commences.       361 

dared  to  do  of  her  sister,  he  left  the  house  con- 
siderably more  thoughtful  than  he  had  entered  it. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

THE    JOURNEY    HOME    COMMENCES. 

LJ  AMILTON  left  Munich  the  next  day  in  the 
^  "•  mail  for  Frankfort ;  he  had  secured  the 
place  beside  the  conductor  in  the  front  part  of 
the  coach,  which  formed  a  kind  of  open  carriage, 
and  where  he  intended  to  smoke,  and  think,  and 
sleep  undisturbed.  His  late  conversation  with 
Crescenz  had  made  a  deep  impression  on  him  ; 
it  had  again  filled  his  mind  with  doubts  and 
fears,  which  deprived  him  of  his  habitual  cheer- 
fulness, while  his  usual  source  of  amusement 
when  travelling  —  studying  the  characters  or 
foibles  of  his  companions — had  lost  all  interest 
for  him.  He  did  not  ask  the  name  or  condition 
of  any  one  of  the  persons  with  whom  he  moved 
under  the  same  roof  a  whole  night  and  two 
days,  and  no  one  contradicted  the  young  student, 
who,  on  leaving  at  Wurtzburg,  observed  with  a 
glance  towards  Hamilton,  "  As  unsociable  a 
fellow  as  ever  I  met !  A  thorough  Englishman  !  " 
He  wandered  about  the  streets  until  the  coach 
was  again  ready  to  start,  and  then,  although  the 
weather  had  completely  cleared  up,  and  the 
country,  refreshed  by  the  rain,  was  by  no  means 


362  Gbe  flnfttate. 


uninteresting,  he  sunk  back  into  his  corner,  and 
overpowered  by  weariness,  fell  fast  asleep.  When 
he  awoke  it  was  quite  dark,  and  as  he  raised 
himself  slowly  from  his  slumbers,  the  conductor 
called  out,  "  Halt ! — who  is  booked  for  Aschaffen- 
burg  ?  Who  gets  out  here  ?  " 

Some  passenger  from  the  inside  of  the  coach 
spoke,  and  Hamilton  asked,  "  Is  there  a  good 
hotel  here  ? " 

"  Very  good." 

"  Then  let  me  out — my  legs  are  cramped,  and 
my  head  and  shoulders  battered  and  bruised. 
I  say,  Hans,  you  can  go  on  to  Frankfort,  and 
bespeak  rooms  for  me  at  the  Hotel  d'Angleterre. 
Give  me  my  carpet-bag  and  dressing-case,  as 
fast  as  you  can,"  and  Hamilton  was  stamping 
his  feet  on  the  ground  with  a  feeling  of  relief 
amounting  to  pleasure,  when  a  man  with  a  lant- 
ern came  up  to  him  and  demanded  his  passport. 

"My  passport  ? — directly — I  shall  be  in  Frank- 
fort about  twelve  o'clock  to-morrow,  Hans," 
cried  Hamilton,  as  the  coach  drove  off  ;  and 
having  delivered  up  his  passport,  he  watched  the 
man  with  the  lantern  enter  an  adjacent  house,  saw 
the  light  pass  from  one  window  to  the  other, 
until  it  finally  disappeared,  and  all  was  dark. 

"  This  is  pleasant,"  he  said,  looking  around 
him,  "  and  I  don't  know  the  way  to  the  hotel,  or 
even  the  name  of  it  !  " 

"  I  am  here  sir,  with  a  wheelbarrow  for  the 
luggage,"  said  a  voice  near  him,  and  Hamilton's 


Journeg  f>ome  Commences.       363 

eyes  now  becoming  accustomed  to  the  darkness, 
he  perceived  a  man  standing  close  to  him,  and  a 
dark  figure  at  a  little  distance  sitting  among 
some  trunks  and  boxes. 

"  Can  you  show  me  the  way  to  the  best  hotel  ?  " 
asked  Hamilton. 

"  To  be  sure  I  can — for  what  else  am  I  here 
every  night,  wet  or  dry  !  "  answered  the  man, 
good-humoredly,  as  he  placed  Hamilton's  lug- 
gage in  the  wheelbarrow.  "  If  you  have  no  ob- 
jection, sir,  I  '11  take  the  lady's  things  too." 

"  By  all  means,"  said  Hamilton,  looking  to- 
wards the  dark  figure,  which  now  rose  and 
endeavoured  to  assist  the  man  to  move  a  rather 
large  trunk. 

"Allow  me,"  said  Hamilton,  instantly  taking 
her  place  ;  and  everything  was  soon  arranged. 

"Thank  you  a  thousand  times,"  whispered  the 
lady,  placing  her  arm  within  his  almost  famil- 
iarly; and  Hamilton,  half  surprised,  half  amused, 
looked  somewhat  curiously  at  his  companion  as 
she  afterwards  unreservedly  drew  closer  to  him, 
and  at  last  clasped  her  small  well-gloved  hands 
over  his  arm.  They  followed  for  some  minutes 
in  silence  the  man  with  the  wheelbarrow,  who 
trudged  on  before  them  whistling ;  but  as  they 
drew  near  to  one  of  the  miserable  street  lamps 
Hamilton  leant  forward  and  endeavoured  rather 
unceremoniously,  to  peer  under  his  compan- 
ion's bonnet  ;  a  thick  veil  rendered  the  effort 
fruitless. 


364  tTbe  Ifnftfals, 


"You  wish  to  see  my  face,"  she  said,  in  a 
voice  that  made  him  stop  suddenly,  with  an  excla- 
mation of  astonishment  ;  and  when  she  pushed 
aside  her  veil  the  flickering  light  played  dimly 
over  the  well-known  features  of  Hildegarde. 

And  where  were  Hamilton's  doubts  and  fears  at 
that  moment  ? — removed  ? — dispersed  ?  No  ;  but 
they  were  dormant — sleeping  as  soundly,  perhaps 
as  uneasily,  as  he  had  been  doing  about  an  hour 
before.  He  scarcely  understood  Hildegarde,  as 
with  repeated  assurances  that  she  was  very,  very 
glad  to  see  him  again,  she  incoherently  related 
that  she  had  travelled  to  Wurtzburg  with  some 
friends  of  Mademoiselle  Hortense's  ;  they  had 
been  very  kind,  and  had  insisted  on  her  remain- 
ing with  them  a  couple  of  days,  to  recover  from 
the  fatigue  of  her  night  journey  ;  that  they  had 
accompanied  her  to  the  coach,  and  advised  her 
to  sleep  at  Aschaffenburg  ;  that  she  had  recog- 
nised Hamilton's  voice  when  speaking  to  Hans, 
,  had  seen  his  face  when  the  man  demanded  his 
passport,  "  And  then,"  she  added,  "  I  knew  that 
all  my  difficulties  about  travelling  were  at  an 
end  ;  so  I  sat  down  on  my  trunk  and  waited  to 
see  when  you  would  recognise  me  !  " 

"  How  could  I  recognise  your  voice  when  you 
whispered,  or  your  face,  when  covered  with  that 
impervious  veil  ?  Indeed,  it  is  impossible  to  see 
anything  at  a  few  feet  distance  from  these  lamps, 
which  seem  but  intended  to  make  the  '  darkness 
visible.'  The  moment  you  spoke  I  knew  you." 


Hbe  $ourneg  ibome  Commences.       365 

"  That  I  expected,"  said  Hildegarde  ;  "other- 
wise I  should  have  been  tempted  to  preserve  my 
incognito  a  little  longer." 

"  I  am  very  glad  you  did  not — but  where  is 
the  man  with  our  bags  and  boxes  ? "  he  cried, 
looking  round.  He  was  no  longer  visible,  though 
they  could  still  indistinctly  hear  the  sound  of 
the  jogging  of  the  wheelbarrow  over  the  rough 
paving-stones  in  the  distance.  With  a  merry 
laugh  they  ran  together  down  the  street,  and 
overtook  him  just  as  he  rolled  his  clumsy  little 
vehicle  under  an  archway,  lighted  by  two  hand- 
some lamps,  and  where  their  arrival  was  imme- 
diately announced  by  the  ringing  of  a  large  bell. 

They  reached  Frankfort  the  next  day,  just  in 
time  to  dine  at  the  table  d'hdte ;  but  Hildegarde's 
appearance  caused  so  many  inquiries,  that  Ham- 
ilton followed  her  to  her  room  to  advise  her  not 
dining  there  in  future. 

"  I  shall  scarcely  be  here  to-morrow,"  she  said, 
pushing  back  her  bonnet,  while  she  rummaged  a 
little  writing-desk  for  some  paper.  "  Oh  !  here 
it  is,"  she  added,  "  Hortense's  letter  of  introduc- 
tion. I  am  sure  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to  go  with 
me  to  find  out  the  house  of  this  lady — this  Bar- 
oness Waldorf  !  " 

"  Who  ?  "  cried  Hamilton. 

"  Baroness  Waldorf." 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  it  was  to  her  you 
were  going  ?  " 

"  Because  I  did  not  think  it  could  interest  you 


366  Gbe  umttals. 


in  any  way — I  never  heard  you  speak  of  her. 
Have  you  seen  her  ?  Do  you  know  anything 
about  her  !  " 

"  I  met  her  at  Edelhof — Zedwitz  is  guardian 
to  her  daughter." 

"  Oh,  tell  me  something  about  her,"  cried 
Hildegarde,  eagerly,  to  Hamilton's  surprise  quite 
indifferent  to  the  latter  part  of  his  speech.  "  Tell 
me  all  you  know  about  her.  Is  she  a  person  to 
whom  I  am  likely  to  become  attached  ? " 

"  I  don't  know — I  rather  think  not.  Oh,  Hil- 
degarde, let  me  advise  you,  as  a  friend,  to  give 
up  this  plan  altogether,  and  go  back  to  your 
step-mother — If  you  would  only  listen  to  me 
patiently  for  ten  minutes " 

"  I  cannot  listen  to  you,"  said  Hildegarde,  in- 
terrupting him,  "  for  I  have  made  an  engagement 
— a  promise  to  remain  a  whole  year,  under  all 
circumstances,  with  the  Baroness  Waldorf.  She 
would  not  make  any  other  sort  of  agreement,  as 
she  is  going  to  Florence  for  the  winter.  She 
alone  can  release  me  from  this  promise — but  I 
cannot  say  I  wish  it,  as  I  rather  enjoy  the  idea 
of  going  to  Italy." 

"  Under  other  circumstances  I  could  easily 
imagine  it." 

"  And  under  what  other  circumstances  am  I 
likely  to  see  Italy — or  even  the  Rhine,  near  as 
it  now  is  to  me." 

Hamilton  was  silent. 

"Let  us  go,"  said  Hildegarde,  taking  up  her 


Sourneg  1>ome  Commences,       367 

gloves.  "  You  will  not,  I  am  sure,  try  to  dis- 
suade me  any  longer,  when  I  tell  you  that  I 
cannot  endure  the  life  I  should  have  to  lead  at 
the  Iron  Works  ;  my  habits  and  education  have 
unfortunately  made  me  totally  unfit  for  it.  I 
have  made  the  trial,  and  must  now  with  regret 
confess  that  the  details  of  domestic  life  are  not 
only  tiresome,  but  absolutely  disgusting  to  me." 

"  So,  then,"  said  Hamilton,  "  you  have  discov- 
ered that  riches  are  necessary  to  your  happiness  ? " 

"  Not  exactly  riches,"  replied  Hildegarde, 
little  aware  of  the  importance  attached  to  her 
answer,  "  but  something  beyond  the  actual  means 
of  subsistence — enough  at  least  to  insure  me  from 
the  vulgar  cares  of  life,  and  to  enable  me  to 
associate  with  people  whose  habits  and  manners 
are  similar  to  mine." 

"  And  how  much  would  be  necessary  for  this  ?  " 
asked  Hamilton,  gravely. 

"  Oh,  indeed  I  don't  know,"  she  answered 
carelessly,  laughing,  "  nor  is  it  necessary  to  cal- 
culate. That  I  have  it  not  is  certain  ;  and  in 
being  a  governess  I  see  the  only  means  of  satis- 
fying my  wishes  at  present,  and  securing  a  com- 
petence hereafter.  If  I  remain  ten  years  with 
the  Baroness  Waldorf,  I  shall  receive  a  pension 
for  the  rest  of  my  life." 

"  And  do  you  think  you  could  not  endure 
these  vulgar  cares  of  life,  as  you  call  them,  even 
with  a  person  you  loved  ?  "  asked  Hamilton,  still 
more  earnestly. 


368  Gbe  flnitialg. 


"  I  shall  never  be  tried  in  that  way,"  answered 
Hildegarde  firmly,  and  while  she  walked  on, 
wholly  occupied  with  her  immediate  concerns, 
Hamilton  altogether  misunderstanding  the  mean- 
ing of  her  words,  concluded  she  referred  to  a 
marriage  with  Zedwitz  at  some  future  period. 
Thus  unconsciously  tormenting  each  other,  they 
reached  the  Baroness  Waldorf's  house,  and  find- 
ing a  burly  porter  lounging  outside  the  door,  they 
asked  if  she  was  at  home. 

"No — she  was  not — she  had  gone  to  May- 
ence." 

"  And  when  is  she  expected  to  return  ?  "  asked 
Hildegarde,  anxiously. 

"  We  do  not  in  the  least  know,  Mademoiselle, 
she  left  very  suddenly,  in  consequence  of  a  letter 
which  she  received.  She  is  sometimes  not  more 
than  a  few  days  absent,  and  most  of  the  car- 
riages and  horses  are  still  here.  Who  shall  I 
say ? " 

"  It  is  of  no  consequence,"  said  Hamilton,  "we 
merely  wished  to  know  if  a  young  lady  from 
Munich  was  not  expected  about  tn.  j  time  ? " 

The  man  said  he  would  inquire,  entered  the 
house,  but  returned  almost  directly,  saying,  that 
no  one  was  expected,  excepting  perhaps  Count 
Zedwitz  on  his  way  home. 

Hamilton  and  Hildegarde  walked  on  together 
for  some  minutes  in  silence ;  at  length  the  latter 
observed,  half  inquiringly,  "  I  suppose  I  have  no 
right  to  be  offended  with  this  Baroness  Waldorf  ? 


Cbe  Journey  fxmie  Commences.        369 

It  must  have  been  urgent  business  which  could 
make  her  leave  Frankfort  just  when  she  ap- 
pointed me  to  be  here  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  so,"  said  Hamilton,  "  but  she 
might  have  made  some  arrangement  for  your 
reception  during  her  absence.  This  thoughtless- 
ness about  you  will  scarcely  prepossess  you  in 
her  favour." 

"  Rich  people  are  seldom  considerate,"  began 
Hildegarde,  as  if  she  intended  to  moralise  ;  but 
suddenly  stopping,  she  added  :  "  You  are  right — 
she  has  placed  me  in  a  very  unpleasant  position 
— if  she  do  not  return  in  a  day  or  two,  I  shall 
neither  have  the  means  of  remaining  here  or 
returning  home." 

"  Our  fortunate  meeting  at  Aschaffenburg," 
said  Hamilton,  "will  save  you  from  all  annoy- 
ances of  that  description,  as  you  know  I  can 
arrange  everything  with  your  mother.  At  all 
events,  I  shall  not  leave  you  now  until  you  are 
either  at  home  again  or  residing  with  this — to  say 
the  least — very  thoughtless  person." 

"  But  will  not  delay  inconvenience  you  ? " 
asked  Hildegarde. 

"  Not  in  the  least.  As  far  as  I  am  concerned 
I  should  be  glad  that  the  Baroness  would  not 
return  for  six  weeks  !  All  places  are  alike  to  me 
where  you  are  ;  and  much  as  we  were  together 
at  the  Iron  Works,  you  have  more  time  to  bestow 
on  me  here  ;  and  therefore  I  am  proportionably 
happier." 


370  Gbe  Initials. 


This  kind  of  speech  she  never  answered  ;  and 
after  a  short  pause  Hamilton  proposed  showing 
her  the  gardens  which  surrounded  the  town,  and 
in  their  shady  walks  they  wandered  until  evening. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

WHAT  OCCURRED  AT  THE  HOTEL  D*ANGLETERRE 
IN  FRANKFORT. 

THE  next  day  after  dinner,  while  Hamilton 
*•  went  to  his  banker's,  Hildegarde  looked 
out  of  her  window,  and  watched,  with  a  sort  of 
quiet  indifference,  the  arrival  of  two  travelling 
carriages  at  the  hotel.  Out  of  the  first  sprang  a 
tall  large  man,  who,  merely  raising  two  fingers  to 
his  travelling  cap  by  way  of  salutation,  instantly 
disappeared — and  even  while  the  heated  and 
tired  horses  were  still  being  led  up  and  down  the 
yard  others  were  brought  out,  and  the  servant, 
after  great  bustling  and  hurrying,  followed  his 
master  into  the  hotel.  Again  the  cracking  of 
the  whips  and  ringing  of  bells  became  audible, 
and  another  and  larger  carriage  arrived — decid- 
edly English.  The  well-built  vehicle  swung 
easily  with  all  its  weight  of  imperials  and  ser- 
vants' seats  behind,  and  out  of  it  stepped  a  tall, 
thin  gentleman,  with  a  grey  hat,  a  grey  coat,  grey 
trousers,  grey  gaiters,  and  grey  whiskers  !  An 
elderly  lady  followed,  her  face  half  concealed  by 


Wbat  ©ccurrefc  at  tbe  t>otel  D'Bngleterre.  371 

her  pendent  lace  veil,  and  two  young  and  pretty 
girls  stopped  for  a  moment  to  inspect  the  build- 
ing they  were  about  to  enter.  Hildegarde  looked 
at  her  watch,  it  was  the  hour  that  Hamilton  told 
her  he  would  return,  so  she  locked  her  door,  and 
began  slowly  to  walk  along  the  corridor  and  de- 
scend the  stairs.  The  English  family  were  just 
turning  into  a  large  suite  of  rooms  on  the  first 
floor  as  she  passed — the  gentleman  in  grey  had 
stopped  at  the  door,  his  hat  fast  on  his  head ; 
he  turned  to  his  wife,  who  was  entering,  and  ob- 
served, quite  loud  enough  for  Hildegarde  to  hear, 
"  By  Jove,  that  's  the  handsomest  girl  I  have 
seen  for  a  long  time  !  "  The  lady  turned  round 
and  deliberately  raised  her  lorgnette  to  her  eye, 
while  their  two  daughters,  after  a  hasty  glance, 
exclaimed,  "  Oh,  papa,  I  really  do  think  she 
understood  you."  Hildegarde  walked  quickly 
on,  but  met  so  many  servants  and  strangers  that 
she  took  refuge  at  last  in  the  large  dining-room, 
which  at  that  hour  was  generally  quite  unoc- 
cupied. 

One  solitary  individual  sat  at  the  enormous 
table.  He  seemed  to  have  been  dining,  and 
Hildegarde  walked  to  one  of  the  windows  without 
looking  at  him.  Soon  after  she  heard  him  strid- 
ing up  and  down  the  room,  and  as  the  waiter 
entered  with  some  fruit  and  confitures,  he  asked 
rather  impatiently,  "  Has  my  servant  not  yet 
dined  ?  Tell  him  to  make  haste — he  knows  we 
have  no  time  to  lose." 


372  abe  flnittals. 


The  voice  was  familiar  to  Hildegarde,  she  un- 
consciously turned  round  to  look  at  the  speaker, 
and  was  instantly  recognised  by  Count  Zedwitz, 
who,  with  a  look  of  astonishment,  hurried  toward 
her,  exclaiming,  "  Madamoiselle  Rosenberg ! 
What  on  earth  has  brought  you  to  Frankfort  ?  " 

"  I  came  here  intending  to  go  to  a  Baroness 
Waldorf  as  governess  to  her  daughter — she  has 
gone  to  Mayence,  I  hear,  and — 

"  And  you  are  here  alone,  unprotected,  and  I 
cannot  offer  to  stay  with  you — I  do  not  know 
if  you  have  heard  that  my  father  is  dying — no 
hope  whatever  of  his  recovery  ;  I  only  received 
the  intelligence  yesterday,  and  am  now  travelling 
night  and  day  to  reach  home  in  time  to  see  him 
once  more  !  " 

At  this  moment  the  servant  entered  to  say 
that  the  carriage  was  ready. 

"  Very  well :  you  may  go — and — shut  the  door 
— Hildegarde,  I  mean  Mademoiselle  Rosenberg 
— do  not  remain  here.  Give  up  this  idea  of 
going  to  Ida  Waldorf ;  it  will  never  answer — 
believe  me  you  will  be  most  unhappy  !  " 

"  It  must  answer,"  said  Hildegarde,  "  and  I 
shall  not  be  unhappy,  for  the  idea  of  being  a 
governess  is  familiar  to  me  from  my  infancy,  and 
has  therefore  lost  all  its  terrors." 

"  Excuse  my  questioning  you,"  cried  Zedwitz 
quickly,  "  but  may  I  ask  how  you  happen  to  be- 
come acquainted  with  the  Baroness  Waldorf  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know  her  at  all — I  never  saw  her — 


THHbat  ©ccurreD  at  tbe  f>otel  &'Bn0leterre.  373 

it  was  all  arranged  by  Mademoiselle  Hortense, 
one  of  the  governesses  of  our  school." 

"  Did  the  Baroness  Waldorf  know  your  name  '  " 
asked  Zedwitz,  eagerly. 

"  At  first,  perhaps  not,"  answered  Hildegarde, 
with  a  look  of  surprise,  "  but  in  the  letter  which 
told  her  that  I  had  left  Munich,  Mademoiselle 
Hortense  must  have  mentioned  it — I  should 
think  my  name  a  matter  of  very  little  import- 
ance ! " 

"  In  this  instance,  you  are  mistaken — I — I  fear 
the  Baroness  is  not  likely  to  return  for  some 
time— I " 

"  Her  servant  said  she  would  not  be  long 
absent — that  her  leaving  was  quite  a  sudden 
thing,"  observed  Hildegarde. 

"Her  leaving  when  she  expected  you  was 
unpardonable,  cruel,  ungenerous  ! "  exclaimed 
Zedwitz,  vehemently. 

"  I  was  rather  shocked  at  first  myself,  but  I 
afterwards  thought  she  had  not  perhaps  received 
the  letter  in  time 

"  She  did  receive  it,  I  am  sure  she  did — it  was 
the  letter  which — Oh,  Mademoiselle  Rosenberg, 
do  not  remain  here  any  longer — return  to  your 
relations,  return  with  me  now — at  once." 

Hildegarde  blushed  intensely. 

"  I  shall  send  my  servant  with  the  carriage," 
he  added  quickly,  "  and  we  can  travel  in  the 
diligence,  or  in  any  way  you  please." 

"You   are  very  kind,"  said  Hildegarde,  but  I 


374  tTbe  flnitfals. 


consider  myself  engaged  to  this  Baroness  Wal- 
dorf, and  until  I  hear  from  her " 

"  You  will  not  hear  from  her,  you  will  never 
hear  from  her  !  "  he  cried,  impatiently,  "  and  I 
must  leave  you  ;  I  cannot,  dare  not  delay  my 
return  home  now  !  " 

Again  Hildegarde  blushed,  she  endeavoured 
to  name  Hamilton,  but  the  words  died  on  her 
lips,  and  her  confusion  increased  every  moment. 
Some  people  began  to  stray  into  the  room,  and 
Zedwitz  added  in  an  agitated  whisper :  "  God 
forgive  me  for  thinking  of  anything  but  my 
father  when  he  is  lying  on  his  death-bed  ;  the 
peculiarity  of  our  position  must  be  my  excuse 
for  telling  you  at  such  a  time,  that  my  feelings 
toward  you  are  unchanged,  unchangeable.  Re- 
turn to  your  family,  and  let  me  hope  that  time 
may  so  far  overcome  your  dislike,  or  indiffer- 
ence, whichever  it  be " 

"  Oh,  Count  Zedwitz,  it  is  neither,"  said  Hilde- 
garde, with  evident  effort.  "I  should  be  un- 
worthy of  such  regard  as  you  feel  for  me,  were 
I  not  now  to  tell  you  that — I  have — long — 
loved  another." 

"  Hamilton  of  course — I  always  feared  it." 

Hildegarde  was  silent. 

"  If  you  are  engaged  to  him,  tell  me  so  ;  it  is 
the  only  means  of  effectually  crushing  all  my 
hopes  at  once  !  " 

"We  have  no  engagement,  he  cannot  enter 
into  any  ;  he  does  not  even  know  that  I  regard 
him  otherwise  than  as  a  friend  !  " 


&ccurre&  at  tbe  f>otel  S'Sntjleterre.  375 

"  Then  listen  to  me  Hildegarde  :  notwith- 
standing all  the  admiration,  all  the  love  which 
he  undoubtedly  feels  for  you  now — when  he  has 
been  some  time  at  home  among  the  friends  and 
companions  of  his  youth — he  will  forget  you  !  " 

"  I  think  he  will,"  said  Hildegarde  with  a  deep 
sigh. 

"  And  you  too  will  forget  this  youthful  fancy," 
continued  Zedwitz. 

"  Youthful  fancy  !  "  she  repeated  slowly,  "  I 
fear  I  have  neither  youthful  fancies  nor  youthful 
feelings  ;  I  have  had  no  youth  ! ' 

"  It  will  come  like  a  late  spring,  and  bestow  on 
you  at  once  those  blessings  which  others  receive 
so  gradually,  that  they  are  insensible  to  them." 

Hildegarde  shook  her  head  and  turned  to 
the  window.  Zedwitz  seemed  to  wish  to  say 
something  which  embarrassed  him.  "  In  case 
you  should  find  this  hotel  more  expensive  than 
you  expected,"  he  began  in  an  hesitating  manner. 

"  Oh,  not  at  all  expensive,"  said  Hildegarde. 
"  I  had  no  idea  one  could  live  so  cheaply  at 
such  a  place  !  " 

Zedwitz  looked  surprised  ;  he  would  have  been 
more  so  if  he  had  seen  the  bill  which  she  had 
paid  Hamilton  with  such  childish  satisfaction  a 
couple  of  hours  before.  It  is  needless  to  say 
that  it  had  been  written  by  him,  as  soon  as  he 
had  discovered  that  she  had  not  the  most  remote 
idea  of  the  expenses  of  travelling,  that  he  had 
taken  advantage  of  her  ignorance  to  prevent  her 
feeling  any  annoyance  or  uneasiness. 


376  abe  Initials. 


"  I  cannot  tell  you  how  unwilling  I  am  to 
leave  you,"  said  Zedwitz,  after  a  pause  ;  but  go 
I  must.  Until  we  meet  again,  let  me  indulge  the 
hope  that  a  time  may  come " 

Just  at  that  moment  the  hotel-keeper  entered 
the  room  and  approached  the  window  where  they 
were  standing.  Zedwitz  turned  round,  and  Hil- 
degarde  in  her  anxiety  to  undeceive  him,  and 
fearing  he  was  leaving  her  under  a  false  impres- 
sion, stretched  out  her  hand  to  detain  him  ;  the 
action  was  misunderstood,  he  caught  it  between 
both  his,  and  while  she  endeavoured  in  vain  to 
stammer  a  few  words  of  explanation,  he  whis- 
pered, "  Thank  you  a  thousand  times,  you  do  not 
know  how  even  this  faint  ray  of  hope  will  lighten 
the  gloominess  of  my  present  journey  !  " 

He  then  took  the  innkeeper  aside,  and  spoke 
long  and  earnestly  to  him  about  her,  said  he 
knew  her  family — requested  him  to  let  her  know 
every  opportunity  that  might  offer  for  a  return 
to  Munich  in  respectable  society — gave  him  his 
address,  the  name  of  his  banker,  and  unlimited 
credit  on  her  account ;  and  just  as  the  innkeeper, 
with  an  only  half  suppressed  smile  of  amusement, 
was  about  to  explain  to  him  that  he  need  not  be 
so  uneasy  about  the  lady,  as  she  was  already  un- 
der the  protection  of  a  young  Englishman,  Zed- 
witz, reproaching  himself  for  the  delay  which 
had  occurred,  sprang  into  the  carriage,  and  a 
moment  after  it  rolled  from  under  the  archway 
past  the  window  where  Hildegarde  still  stood,  a 


TKRbat  ©ccurreD  at  tbe  f>otel  fr'Sngteterre.  377 

prey  to  the  most  distressing  and  contending 
emotions. 

After  waiting  more  than  half  an  hour  longer, 
and  Hamilton  not  appearing,  she  retired  to  her 
room,  supposing  some  unexpected  business  had 
detained  him  ;  but  when  several  hours  elapsed, 
and  he  was  still  absent,  she  became  uneasy.  A 
feeling  of  delicacy  prevented  her  from  making 
any  inquiries,  and  she  sat  at  her  window,  long 
after  dusk,  trying  to  discover  him  in  every  tall 
dark  figure  she  saw  moving  near  the  entrance  or 
in  the  court  below.  A  sensation  of  utter  loneli- 
ness came  over  her,  thoughts  of  the  most  melan- 
choly description  chased  each  other  through  her 
mind  ;  when,  from  a  reverie  of  this  kind,  she 
recognised  the  well-known  quick  step,  and  a  low 
knock  at  the  door  made  her  conscious  that  Ham- 
ilton was  near  ;  all  the  painful  reminiscences — 
uncertainties — Zedwitz — everything,  was  in  a 
moment  forgotten  ;  and  she  rose  quickly  and 
joyously  from  her  chair  to  meet  him.  It  was  too 
'dark  for  Hamilton  to  see  the  tears  which  still 
lingered  in  her  long  eye-lashes,  and  too  dark  for 
her  to  observe  the  flushed  and  irritated  expres- 
sion of  his  whole  countenance. 

"  Shall  I  light  the  candles  ? "  she  asked  cheer- 
fully. 

"  If  you  wish  it,  but  I  prefer  the  room  as  it  is." 

She  sat  down  near  him,  and  after  a  pause  ob- 
served, "  You  were  long  absent ;  was  there  any 
difficulty  at  the  bankers  ?  " 


378  tTbe  fFnttials. 


"  None  whatever."  Another  pause — then  sud- 
denly turning  towards  her,  he  said  quickly,  "  I 
have  been  thinking  that  as  the  Baroness  Wal- 
dorf has  a  house  at  Mayence,  she  may  be  longer 
absent  than  her  servants  supposed.  A  few  hours 
would  take  you  to  Mayence." 

"  Do  you  think  it  necessary  to  follow  her 
there  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly  necessary,  but  why  not ?  You 
have  often  wished  to  see  the  Rhine." 

"  Oh,  it  would  be  too  delightful !  "  exclaimed 
Hildegarde. 

"  If  you  think  so,"  said  Hamilton,  every  trace 
of  annoyance  disappearing  from  his  face,  "  why, 
the  sooner  we  go  the  better." 

"  But  the  expense,"  said  Hildegarde,  hesitat- 
ingly. 

"  Will  not  be  greater  than  remaining  here  ;  do 
not  let  that  weigh  with  you  for  a  moment." 

"  Perhaps  I  ought  to  write  to  my  mother,  or 
Hortense?" 

"  You  cannot  have  an  answer  for  several  days, 
and  it  is  better  to  wait  until  you  have  seen  the 
Baroness  Waldorf  ;  I  should  think  whether  you 
were  here  or  at  Mayence  must  be  a  matter  of  in- 
difference to  them,  and  I  am  sure  your  mother 
would  be  quite  satisfied  if  she  knew  that  you 
were  under  my  care  !  " 

"  That  I  think  too,"  said  Hildegarde,  "  and  I 
should  like  to  put  an  end  to  my  present  state  of 
uncertainty  as  soon  as  possible.  I  do  not,"  she 


©ccurrefc  at  tbe  t>otet  fc'Bngteterre.  379 

continued,  half  laughing,  "  I  do  not  feel  any  sort 
of  scruples  about  travelling  with  you  ;  I  suppose, 
because  we  have  lived  so  long  in  the  same  house, 
and  I  know  you  so  well ;  but  when  Count  Zed- 
witz  to-day  proposed  my  returning  home  with 
him " 

"  Zedwitz  !  To-day  !  "  repeated  Hamilton, 
amazed. 

"  Yes.  In  passing  through  Frankfort  to-day, 
he  dined  and  changed  horses  here.  I  saw  him 
for  a  few  minutes  when  I  was  waiting  for  your 
return  ;  he  strongly  advised  me  not  to  go  to  the 
Baroness  Waldorf,  and  seemed,  oddly  enough, 
to  think  she  had  gone  away  on  purpose." 

"  Not  impossible — not  improbable.  Did  he 
explain,  in  any  way,  the  cause  of  his  suspicions  ?  " 

"  No,  he  had  not  time,  his  father  is  dying,  and 
he  is,  of  course,  most  anxious  to  get  home.  He 
— he  went  away  just  as  I  was  going  to  tell  him 
that  you  was  here "  she  stopped,  embarrassed. 

"  Hildegarde,  let  us  go  to  Mayence,"  cried 
Hamilton,  abruptly. 

"  As  early  as  you  please  to-morrow  morning," 
she  answered,  cheerfully. 

"  Not  to-morrow  morning — this  evening — in 
an  hour — in  half  an  hour  !  " 

"  But — but  it  is  night — almost  dark  already." 

"  Well,  what  difference  does  that  make  ?  " 

"  They  told  me  never  to  travel  at  night  ;  it  was 
to  avoid  doing  so  that  I  stopped  at  Aschaffen- 
burg." 


380  ttbe  Initials. 


"  That  was  when  you  were  alone,  and  travel- 
ling in  a  public  carriage." 

"  I  do  not,  however,  see  any  necessity  for  such 
haste,"  she  said  quietly,  "and,  therefore,  if  you 
have  no  objections,  I  should  greatly  prefer  wait- 
ing until  morning." 

"  But  I  have  an  objection,  and  you  will  greatly 
oblige  me  by  leaving  to-night." 

"  I  suppose  you  have  some  very  good  reason 
for  what  appears  to  me  a  most  unnecessary  exer- 
cise of  the  power  which  chance  has  given  you 
over  me  ?  " 

"  I  have  a  reason,"  began  Hamilton,  and  there 
he  stopped.  How  could  he  tell  her  that  he  had 
recognised  his  own  coat-of-arms  on  a  carriage  in 
the  yard — that  he  had  questioned  the  courier, 
who  was  unpacking  it,  and  discovered  that  the 
same  uncle  who  had  been  in  Saltzburg  the  year 
before,  was  now  on  his  way  to  Baden-Baden  with 
his  wife  and  daughters  ;  that  he  dreaded  their 
discovering  Hildegarde's  being  with  him,  feared 
the  ungenerous  conclusions  they  might  draw 
from  her  present  position  ;  and  that,  to  avoid 
a  chance  meeting,  he  had  wandered  about  the 
least  frequented  streets,  until  the  shades  of  even- 
ing, and  the  certainty  of  their  being  engaged  at 
the  tea-table,  had  enabled  him  to  pass  their 
apartments,  with  the  hope  of  not  being  discov- 
ered. To  attempt  an  explanation  with  Hilde- 
garde  would  be  sufficient  to  make  her  insist  on 
his  leaving  her  instantly  ;  his  only  chance  was  to 


"Wflbat  ©centred  at  tbe  t)otel  O'Bngleterre.  381 

use  his  personal  influence  and  try  to  persuade 
her  to  leave  Frankfort  that  night,  before  they 
had  been  seen — before  the  "  strangers'  book  " 
had  given  rise  to  any  inquiries  about  them. 

"  Well,"  said  Hildegarde,  "  I  have  surely  a 
right  to  hear  your  reason  ? " 

"  Right  !  Oh,  if  we  talk  of  rights,  it  is  you 
alone  who  should  name  the  day  and  hour  of  de- 
parture— you  alone  who  have  a  right  to  dictate  ; 
but  I  was  asking  a  favour,  I  wish  most  parti- 
cularly to  be  in  Mayence  at  a  very  early  hour 
to-morrow." 

"  And  if  we  leave  at  three  or  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  will  not  that  be  early  enough  ?  " 

Hamilton  looked  only  half  satisfied. 

"  I  do  not  like  the  appearance  of  going  off  at 
night  in  so  sudden  and  mysterious  a  manner — 
not  even  —  with  you,"  said  Hildegarde,  can- 
didly. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right — but  at  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning  if  the  exertion  be  not  too 
great.  " 

"  Oh,"  said  Hildegarde,  laughing,  "  you  will 
find  it  more  difficult  to  be  ready  than  I  shall." 

"  Not  to-morrow,"  said  Hamilton  ;  "  I  shall  be 
at  your  door  waiting  for  you,  even  before  the 
clock  strikes.  "  And  in  the  morning,  when  she 
opened  her  door,  there  he  stood.  He  uncon- 
sciously stepped  lighter  as  he  passed  the  rooms 
containing  his  sleeping  relations.  Hildegarde 
pointed  to  them,  and  said  they  were  occupied 


382  tTbe  Initials. 


by  English  people  ;  she  had  seen  them  arrive  the 
day  before,  had  passed  them  on  her  way  down 
stairs,  and,  while  still  talking  of  the  gre  man 
and  the  veiled  lady  Hamilton  hurried  her  into 
the  carriage  and  they  drove  off. 


CHAPTER    XLVI. 

HALT    ! 

TT  was  still  early  when  Hildegarde  and  Hamil- 
ton reached  Mayence  ;  so  early,  that,  after 
lingering  over  their  breakfast  an  unusually  long 
time,  the  latter  said  he  would  make  some  inqui- 
ries about  the  Baroness  Waldorf,  and  Hildegarde 
could  go  to  her  at  a  later  hour.  After  a  very  short 
absence  he  returned,  and  throwing  himself  into 
a  chair,  exclaimed,  "  Well,  certainly  this  is  the 
most  unaccountable  conduct !  " 

"  What  is  the  matter  ? "  asked  Hildegarde, 
turning  very  pale,  "has  she  left  Mayence  too  ?" 

"  Yes — gone  again  ;  and  without  leaving  any 
message  for  you  !  " 

"  There  must  be  some  extraordinary  mistake 
or  confusion  either  on  her  part  or  Hortense's  f. 
I  could  almost  agree  with  Count  Zedwitz,  and 
think  she  was  purposely  avoiding  me,  if  I  had 
not  read  the  letters  which  she  wrote — her  hopes 
that  we  should  be  long  together — her  regrets 
that  I  was  not  a  few  years  older — her  entreaties 


Dalt !  383 

that  Hortense  would  not  let  me  leave  Munich 
until  she  had  found  some  person  to  take  charge 
of  me  :  and  now  to  leave  me  to  wander  about 
after  her  in  this  way  !  So  apparently  to  forget 
my  existence  !  It  is  quite  incomprehensible  !  " 

"  She  has  gone  to  Waldorf,"  said  Hamilton, 
"  and  a — Waldorf  is  not  far  from  Coblentz." 

"  You  surely  would  not  advise  me  to  pursue 
her  farther  !  "  cried  Hildegarde,  indignantly. 

"  Oh,  no  !  I  have  advised,  and  still  advise  you 
to  go  home." 

"  And  yet  I  shall  make  one  effort  more,  though 
most  unwillingly,"  said  Hildegarde  ;  "  I  should 
be  ashamed  to  go  home  after  a  wild-goose  chase 
of  this  kind  ;  I  must  know  at  least  what  to  say 
to  my  relations.  Suppose  I  were  to  write  to  the 
Baroness,  and  await  her  answer  here  ?  That  will 
— that  must  explain  everything." 

"  Write,"  said  Hamilton,  "  and  we  can  take  it 
to  the  post  ourselves,  when  we  go  out  with  a 
valet  de  place,  who  must  show  us  everything 
worth  seeing.  I  dare  say  we  can  spend  two 
or  three  days  very  pleasantly  here." 

"  I  shall  be  dreadfully  in  your  debt !  "  observed 
Hildegarde,  blushing. 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  Hamilton,  with  the  most 
serious  face  imaginable.  "  You  have  more  than 
enough  money  for  all  your  expenses  here,  though 
perhaps  not  quite  enough  to  take  you  home." 

The  letter  was  written,  and  they  sallied  forth, 
preceded  by  a  loquacious  valet  de  place,  to  whose 


384  Gbe  Initials. 


remarks,  after  the  first  five  minutes,  they  did  not 
pay  the  slightest  attention. 

When  they  were  returning  to  the  hotel,  by  a 
newly-made  walk  along  the  banks  of  the  Rhine. 
Hildegarde  stopped  to  look  at  a  new  and  beauti- 
fully-built steamboat,  on  which  there  was  a  pla- 
card hung  up  to  say  that  she  would  sail  the  next 
morning  for  Cologne. 

"  Should  you  like  to  see  the  interior,  Hilde- 
garde ?  " 

"  Oh,  of  all  things  !  "  and  the  steamboat  was 
examined  with  a  degree  of  curiosity,  interest, 
and  admiration,  of  which  those  accustomed  to 
the  sight  from  infancy  can  form  no  idea.  The 
captain  of  the  ship,  who  happened  to  be  on 
board,  attracted  probably  by  her  appearance,  had 
every  drawer  and  cupboard  opened  for  her  in- 
spection, and  Hamilton  was  beginning  to  find  his 
explanations  rather  long  and  tiresome,  when  he 
suddenly  concluded  them  by  hoping  that  she  was 
to  be  one  of  his  passengers  the  next  day. 

"  We  have  not  yet  quite  decided,"  said  Hamil- 
ton, laughing  at  her  embarrassment  ;  "  though  I 
do  not,"  he  added,  turning  to  her,  "  I  do  not  in 
fact  see  what  there  is  to  prevent  us." 

"  We  shall  have  fine  weather,"  observed  the 
captain,  "  and  shall  be  in  Cologne  in  good  time 
in  the  evening." 

"  I  don't  think  we  could  do  better,  Hildegarde," 
said  Hamilton,  in  a  low  voice  in  English. 

"  I  am  afraid  it  would  be  improper — wrong, 


Dalt !  385 

without  any  object  but  amusement !  just  con- 
sider for  a  moment." 

"  I  cannot,"  said  Hamilton,  "  see  any  greater 
impropriety  in  your  passing  a  day  or  two  in  a 
crowded  steamboat,  than  at  a  hotel  along  with 
me — rather  less,  perhaps,  but  I  deny  the  impro- 
priety altogether,  when  I  take  into  considera- 
tion that  I  have  been  one  of  your  family 
for  the  last  year,  and  that  you  have  learned  so 
completely  to  consider  me  a  friend — almost  a 
relation." 

"That  istrue,"said  Hildegarde,  "but  still— 

"Then,"  continued  Hamilton,  "you  cannot 
have  an  answer  to  your  letter  for  three  days  at 
least — we  shall  be  back  just  in  time  to  receive  it. 
Whether  we  pass  to-morrow  night  at  Cologne  or 
Mayence,  is  quite  unimportant,  and  I  should  like 
to  show  you  the  Rhine  scenery.  Let  it  be  here- 
after associated  in  your  mind  with  your  recollec- 
tions of  me  !  " 

This  last  sentence  was  pronounced  half 
pathetically,  half  beseechingly,  and  Hildegarde 
made  no  further  opposition  to  a  plan  which  ac- 
corded but  too  well  with  her  own  inclinations. 

We  will  spare  our  readers  the  description  of 
the  impression  made  on  her  by  the  Rheingeau, 
Johannisberg,  the  Lurlei,  Coblentz,  Rolandseck, 
the  Drachenfels,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

"  What  a  pretty  room  !  "  said  Hildegarde  to 
Hamilton,  who  had  followed  her  up  the  stairs  of 
the  Hotel  Bellevue  at  Deutz.  "  What  a  pretty 

VOL.  II. — 25 


386  Gbe  flnittalg. 


room  !  We  have  a  complete  view  of  the  Rhine, 
and  quite  overlook  the  garden.  I  really  should 
like  to  stay  here  a  week — if  I  dared." 

"  I  have  no  objection,"  said  Hamilton,  laugh-- 
ing, "  though  I  have  just  heard  there  are  so  many 
princes  and  serene  highnesses  in  the  house  that 
I  must  sleep  on  the  sofa  in  this  room,  if  you  have 
no  objection  ;  for  only  this  and  the  bedroom 
adjoining  are  to  be  had." 

The  waiter  entered  the  room  just  at  this  mo- 
ment to  inquire  if  M.  and  Madame  would  sup 
there,  or  at  the  table  d'hdte. 

"  Here,"  said  Hamilton,  and  he  blushed  deeply, 
as  he  turned  to  Hildegarde,  who  was  sitting  on 
the  window  stool,  but  no  longer  looking  at  the 
Rhine,  or  into  the  garden — she  had  fixed  her 
eyes  on  the  door  as  the  waiter  closed  it,  and  with 
parted  lips  and  slightly  contracted  brows,  seemed 
expecting  to  hear  more. 

"  You  look  quite  shocked  at  that  man's  stupid 
mistake,"  said  Hamilton,  with  affected  careless- 
ness. 

"  It  was  not  a  stupid  mistake  ;  it  was  a  very 
natural  conclusion." 

"  You  mean  on  account  of  the  rooms,  perhaps  ? 
Don't  let  that  annoy  you,  for  you  shall  have  un- 
disturbed possession  of  both — I  dare  say  I  can 
get  a  bed  at  one  of  the  inns  at  the  other  side  of 
the  river — indeed,  I  should  have  proposed  it 
at  once,  only  I  did  not  like  to  leave  you  here 
alone." 


1>alt !  387 

"  I  am  afraid  you  will  think  me  very  selfish," 
said  Hildegarde. 

"  Not  at  all." 

"  Unnecessarily  prudish,  then  ?  " 

"  Rather." 

"  You  are  right,"  she  said  with  a  sigh,  "  after 
having  gone  off  with  you  in  this — this  very — 
thoughtless  manner,  any  attempt  at  prudery  is 
preposterous — ridiculous  !  There  is,  in  fact,  no- 
thing to  prevent  your  sleeping  in  this  room,  if 
you  do  not  fear  the  sofa  being  too  uncomfort- 
able." 

"  There  is  something  to  prevent  me,"  said 
Hamilton,  "  and  that  is,  you  do  not  wish  it.  I 
will  go  at  once  across  the  bridge,  and  if  there  be 
any  room  to  be  had,  not  quite  at  the  other  end 
of  the  town,  I  shall  not  return  until  morning." 

"  But  had  you  not  better  wait  until  after 
supper  ? " 

"  It  is  scarcely  advisable,  for  at  this  time  of 
the  year  there  are  so  many  travellers,  that  nothing 
in  the  neighbourhood  may  be  to  be  had  ;  and 
you  know  we  start  early."  While  he  spoke,  how- 
ever, the  waiter  appeared  with  the  tray  containing 
their  supper,  and  half  blushing,  half  laughing, 
they  sat  down  together,  and  between  talking  and 
eating,  in  the  course  of  a  few  minutes,  forgot  all 
about  the  matter. 

It  was  the  waiter,  the  "  stupid  man,"  who  was 
again  to  remind  them  of  the  impropriety  of  their 
conduct.  He  had  returned  to  say  that  the  band 


388  ttbe  Initials. 


of  one  of  the  regiments  at  Cologne  would  play  in 
the  garden — perhaps  Madame  would  like  a  table 
and  chair  to  be  kept  for  her  ? 

Hamilton  did  not  venture  to  look  at  his  com- 
panion, as  he  refused  the  offered  civility,  but 
snatching  up  his  hat,  hurried  away  as  fast  as  he 
could. 

But  he  returned,  and  very  soon  too,  and  great 
was  his  annoyance  to  find  Hildegarde  already  in 
her  room,  and  the  door  closed  ;  he  walked  back- 
wards and  forwards,  not  very  patiently  or  quietly, 
for  about  ten  minutes,  and  then  knocked. 

"  Good  night,"  said  Hildegarde. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  tell  you  that  I  have  not  been 
able  to  find  a  room,  excepting  in  a  very  out-of- 
the-way  place  :  as  the  packet  leaves  so  early, 
and  I  am  so  apt  to  be  late,  I  thought  it  better  to 
ask  you  what  I  should  do  ? " 

"  I  am  very  sorry,"  began  Hildegarde. 

"So  am  I,"  said  Hamilton,  "but  as  it  cannot 
be  helped,  I  think  you  might  just  as  well  come 
out  here  for  an  hour,  and  talk  over  our  journey 
back." 

"  I  am  going  to  bed  ;  I  am  tired." 

"  Have  you  any  objection  to  my  smoking  a 
cigar,  if  I  open  the  window  ?  " 

"  None  whatever,  you  may  smoke  a  dozen  if 
you  like." 

He  opened  the  window  and  leaned  out  to 
watch  the  gay  scene  which  was  passing  below 
him.  The  garden  was  crowded  with  guests,  and 


t>alt! $80 

well  lit  with  candles,  protected  from  the  wind  by 
glass  globes  ;  the  murmuring  of  voices,  and  gay 
laughter  reached  him,  and  had  he  not  still  enter- 
tained a  faint  hope  of  seeing  Hildegarde  again, 
he  would  have  joined  the  revellers,  not  in  the 
hope  of  actual  enjoyment,  but  to  banish  thoughts 
which  were  crowding  thick  upon  him,  and  pro- 
ducing a  state  of  nervous  irritation  most  unusual 
to  him.  He  felt  so  provoked  at  Hildegarde's 
tranquil,  friendly  manner ;  it  contrasted  so  pain- 
fully with  his  own  state  of  feverish  uncertainty, 
that  the  jealous  vision  of  Zedwitz  unrepulsed, 
rose,  more  and  more  distinctly  before  him. 
Would  not  the  situation  of  governess  be  intoler- 
able to  one  of  her  proud  nature  ? — and  after 
having  tried  it,  would  she  not  joyfully  accept  the 
hand  of  Zedwitz,  who,  she  said,  "loved  her 
better  than  anyone  ever  did — better  than  she 
deserved  ?  "  These  thoughts  at  length  became 
intolerable,  and  with  one  bound  he  was  again 
at,  her  door. 

"  Hildegarde,  the  band  is  beginning  to  play 
in  the  garden  ;  will  you  not  come  to  listen  to 
it?" 

"  No,  thank  you." 

"  But  you  have  not  yet  gone  to  bed,  I  hope  ?  " 

There  was  no  answer  audible. 

"  You  have  not  yet  gone  to  bed  ?  I  want  to 
speak  to  you — open  the  door,  I  beg — I  entreat." 

"Whatever  you  have  to  say  can  be  said  to- 
morrow just  as  well  as  now." 


390  ftbe  fnittals. 


"  I  should  rather  say  it  now." 

"  And  I  should  rather  hear  it  to-morrow." 

Hamilton  knew  her  too  well  to  persevere,  and 
returned  again  to  his  window,  where  he  remained 
for  more  than  an  hour,  unconscious  of  every- 
thing passing  beneath  him,  and  merely  hearing 
a  confused  sound  of  instruments,  which  had  the 
effect  of  producing  an  almost  painful  feeling  of 
fatigue.  He  closed  the  window,  and  looked 
rather  despondingly  round  the  room,  which,  as  a 
dormitory,  promised  but  few  comforts,  he  extin- 
guished the  candles,  and  then  threw  himself  at 
full  length  upon  the  sofa  :  he  had  been  thinking 
intensely,  and  as  he  lay  there  in  the  darkened 
chamber,  he  resolved  that  another  night  should 
not  find  him  in  his  present  state  of  uncertainty  ; 
and  why  should  he  endure  it  now  ?  Why  not 
know  his  fate  at  once  ?  He  would  insist  on 
Hildegarde's  listening  to  him,  and  answering  him 
too  !  Starting  up,  his  eyes  were  instantly  riv- 
etted  on  a  line  of  bright  light  visible  under  her 
door  ;  she  was  still  awake  ;  up  perhaps.  He 
knocked,  and  observed  in  a  low  voice,  as  he 
leaned  against  the  door,  "  Hildegarde,  I  cannot 
sleep  !  " 

"  I  am  so  sorry  !  "  she  answered — "  the  sola, 
I  suppose " 

"  Yes,  the  sofa,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  I  wish,"  she  said,  coming  toward  the  door,  *;  I 
wish  I  could  resign  this  room  to  you,  but " 

"  There  is  no  necessity  ;  give  me  some  of  the 


-fcalt! 391 

pillows  which  you  do  not  want,  and  I  shall  be 
quite  comfortable." 

"  How  stupid  of  me  not  to  have  thought  of 
that  before  !  "  she  exclaimed,  opening  the  door. 
"  When  you  were  absent  I  could  have  arranged 
everything,  but  the  fact  is,  I  have  been  for  the 
last  two  hours  thinking — really  thinking,  more 
than  I  have  ever  done  in  my  life  !  " 

"  So  have  I,"  said  Hamilton,  quite  overlooking 
the  pillows  she  was  collecting  for  him.  "  Sup- 
pose we  compare  thoughts  ?  " 

"  Not  now,  to-morrow." 

"  Now,  now  ;  this  very  instant,"  he  said,  seat- 
ing himself  on  the  sofa,  and  motioning  to  her  to 
take  the  place  beside  him.  She  shook  her  head, 
and  continued  standing, 

"  What  on  earth  do  you  mean  by  this  reserve 
— this  unusual  prudery  ?  "  he  continued,  moving 
towards  the  side  against  which  she  was  leaning. 

"  Nothing,"  she  said,  drawing  back,  "  I  only 
think  it  would  be  better  to  defer  anything  you 
wish  to  speak  about  until  to-morrow,  it  is  so  late 
— so  very  late." 

"  This  is  not  the  first  time  we  have  been  together 
at  midnight,"  said  Hamilton,  laughing  ;  but  as 
he  spoke  she  blushed  so  deeply,  that  he  added, 
seriously,  "  When  there  was  any  impropriety  in 
it,  I  told  you  ;  you  may  believe  me  now,  when  I 
tell  you  there  is  none  !  " 

"You  are  not  quite  infallible,  I  fear,"  she  said 
sorrowfully,  "  for  you  did  not  see  any  impro- 


392  Gbe  initiate. 


priety  in  my  travelling  alone  with  you  here,  and  I 
now  both  see  and  feel  it,  and  shall  regret  it  all 
my  life  !  " 

"  Good  heavens  !  "  exclaimed  Hamilton. 
"  Have  I  ever  said  or  done  anything " 

"  Oh,  no,  never — never  !  "  cried  Hildegarde, 
interrupting  him. 

"Then  why  withdraw  your  confidence  from 
me,  if  I  have  not  done  anything  to  forfeit  it  ? " 

"  I  have  the  same  confidence  in  you  I  ever 

had,"  she  answered,  with  a  sigh  ;  "  but  I 

have  unfortunately  lost  all  confidence  in  my- 
self !  " 

"  How  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  have  discovered  that  it  was  not  a  wish  to 
see  the  Rhine  or  be  in  a  steamboat  which  made 
me  leave  Mayence  with  you." 

"  And  what  was  it,  then  ?  "  cried  Hamilton, 
eagerly. 

"  It  was  the  desire  to  be  with  you — to  enjoy 
your  society  undisturbed  for  a  few  days  before 
we  parted  forever  !  " 

"  Not  forever,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  I  am  ashamed  to  think  how  easily  I  allowed 
myself  to  imagine  that  I  ought  to  follow  this 
Baroness  Waldorf  to  Mayence,  still  more  so  to 
think  how  soon  I  stifled  my  scruples  about  com- 
ing here — and  so  effectually,  too,  that  the  whole 
obvious  impropriety  never  struck  me  until  this 
evening,  when  the  waiter " 

"  Was  guilty  of  the  horrible  supposition  that 


t>alt !  393 

you  were  my  wife  !  Would  that  be  so  dreadful  ? " 
asked  Hamilton. 

"  The  waiter  showed  me  by  this  simple  re- 
mark," she  continued,  without  noticing  his  inter- 
ruption, "  that  I  ought  never  to  have  been  with 
you  as  I  have  been  under  any  other  circum- 
stances, and  I  felt  condemned  at  once.  I  must 
return  home  to  my  step-mother." 

"  Perhaps  for  a  couple  of  years,  it  would  be 
the  best  thing  you  could  do,"  said  Hamilton. 

"  To  my  step-mother  or — to  Mademoiselle 
Hortense  ? "  she  said,  musingly,  as  she  seated 
herself  on  a  chair,  and  unconsciously  moved  it 
towards  him.  "  Of  course  I  have  given  up  all 
idea  of  going  to  the  Baroness  Waldorf." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it.  I  never  liked  the 
plan." 

"  And  I  am  so  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  give  it 
up  !  " 

"  Do  not  regret  it — it  would  not  have  an- 
swered. I  never  saw  anyone  for  whom  the 
situation  of  governess  was  less  eligible,  not- 
withstanding your  excellent  education  and  extra- 
ordinary talent  for  languages." 

"  Eligible  !  "  repeated  Hildegarde.  "  You  are 
right.  I  am  no  longer  eligible — I  am  no  longer 
fit  to  direct  the  education  of — of  any  girl  !  " 

"  I  hope  you  will  never  speak  to  anyone  else 
in  this  manner,"  said  Hamilton,  gravely.  "You 
would  make  people  suppose  you  had  been  guilty 
of  some  serious  misdemeanor." 


394  tlbe  fnttfate. 


"  I  have  been  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,"  said 
Hildegarde,  despondingly,  "  and  one  which  I 
should  think  it  necessary  to  confess  to  the 
Baroness  Waldorf  before  I  entered  her  house  ; 
having  done  so,  I  conclude  she  would  refuse  to 
resign  her  daughter  to  my  care.  To  avoid  the 
merited  mortification,  I  shall  go  home,  tell  every- 
thing to  Hortense,  and  be  guided  by  her  advice 
for  the  next  year  or  two.  And  now,"  she  added, 
"  I  have  only  one  thing  more  to  observe,  and  that 
is,  that  we  ought  to  repair  our  thoughtlessness  as 
well  as  we  can,  or,  rather,  avoid  a  continuation 
of  it,  by  separating  at  once.  1  shall  return  to 
Mayence  to-morrow,  and  you  must  go  on  to 
England." 

"  I  will  go  to — Scotland,  if  you  will  go  with 
me,  Hildegarde,"  said  Hamilton.  "Don't  be 
angry,  I  am  not  joking.  I  have  listened  to  the 
subject  of  your  two  hours'  meditation,  and  now 
I  expect  you  to  listen  to  mine."  And  he  entered 
into  a  long  and,  all  things  considered,  not  very 
prejudiced  exposition  of  the  state  of  his  affairs — 
informed  her  of  the  ^£5,000  pounds  which  he 
should  inherit  in  two  years,  and  after  hoping  that 
they  could  contrive  to  buy  something  and  live 
somewhere  with  that  sum,  ended,  as  he  had  be- 
gun, by  proposing  her  going  with  him  to  Scot- 
land, and  then  returning  to  her  mother  until  he 
could  claim  her  altogether. 

She  listened  in  silence,  the  expression  of  deep 
attention  changing  by  degrees  into  surprise  and 


f>alt  t  395 

perplexity.  It  was  the  first  time  that  the  idea  of 
a  marriage  with  him  had  entered  her  mind  ;  she 
had  taught  herself  to  consider  it  so  completely 
an  impossibility  that  his  occasional  outbursts  of 
passion  or  tenderness  had  ceased  to  make  any 
impression  on  her.  Ashamed  of  the  confession 
which  she  had  so  ingenuously  made  to  him  just 
before,  and  not  prepared  for  the  sudden  change 
of  feelings  which  his  words  produced,  she  turned 
away,  and  when  he  paused  for  an  answer,  did  not 
even  make  an  attempt  to  speak. 

As  Hamilton  waited  in  vain  for  an  answer,  his 
former  doubts  became  certainties — she  liked,  but 
did  not  love  him.  With  a  difficulty  in  utterance, 
in  strong  contrast  to  his  former  fluency,  he  now 
stammered  out  his  hopes  that  he  had  not  de- 
ceived himself  as  to  the  nature  of  her  feelings 
towards  him. 

"  No — oh  no,"  answered  Hildegarde,  but  with- 
out turning  round. 

"  And  you  do  or  will  try  to  love  me  sufficiently 

"  Why  force  me  to  make  unnecessary  confes- 
sions," she  said,  with  a  deep  blush  ;  "  rather  let 
me  ask  you  when  you  heard  that  you  would  in- 
herit this  fortune  which  makes  you  independent. 
In  Frankfort,  perhaps  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Hamilton,  "  I  knew  it  when  I 
was  a  child,  and  considered  it  then,  though  not 
quite  a  fortune,  certainly  a  very  large  sum  of 
money." 


396  tTbc  f  nitiats. 


"  And  is  it  not  a  very  large  sum  of  money  ?  " 

"  For  a  boy  to  buy  playthings  and  ponies,  yes  ; 

but  for  a  man  to  live  upon "  he  paused  ;  there 

was  too  much  intelligence  in  her  eager  glance. 

"  For  a  man  "  she  said,  "  brought  up  as  you  have 
been,  it  is  probably  too  little — nothing  !  " 

"Not  so,"  cried  Hamilton,  quickly.  "With 
my  present  ideas  and  feelings  it  is  a  competence 
— it  is  all  I  require — all  I  wish." 

"  You  could  then,  have  married  Crescenz  if 
you  had  desired  it  ?  "  she  said,  slowly. 

"  I  could  never  have  loved  her  well  enough  to 
induce  me  to  make  the  sacrifice " 

"  The  sacrifice  !  And  it  is  great — very  great, 
perhaps  ?  " 

"  It  ceases  to  be  one  when  made  for  you." 

"  And  you  have  only  lately — only  very  lately, 
perhaps,  been  able  to  resolve  on  this  sacrifice  ?  " 

"  Let  me  use  your  own  words,  Hildegarde. 
Do  not  force  me  to  make  unnecessary  confes- 
sions," said  Hamilton,  blushing  more  deeply  than 
she  herself  had  done. 

She  leaned  on  the  table,  and  bent  her  head 
over  her  hands.  Hamilton  felt  very  uncomfort- 
able. "  I  expected,"  he  said,  at  length,  with 
some  irritation,  "  I  expected  that  this  explanation 
would  have  been  differently  received." 

"  I  wish,"  she  answered,  "  it  had  never  been 
made.  I  would  rather  have  remembered  you  as 
I  thought  you — dependent  on  your  father's  will 
— having  no  option." 


t>alt !  397 

"  This  is  too  much  !  "  cried  Hamilton,  starting 
from  the  sofa,  and  striding  up  and  down  the 
room.  "  I  have  fallen  in  your  esteem  when — but 
you  do  not  understand." 

"  Probably  not  quite,  but  this  is  evident  to  me, 
the  sacrifice  must  be  something  enormous — be- 
yond what  I  can  imagine — or  you  would  not  have 
hesitated  so  long,  for — I  think — yes — I  am  sure 
you — love  me." 

Hamilton  stopped  opposite  to  her,  and  ex- 
claimed, "  Oh,  Hildegarde,  how  can  you  torture 
me  in  this  manner  !  " 

"  I  would  rather  torture  myself,"  she  said, 
"  but,"  and  she  looked  at  him  steadily,  "  but  I 
must  nevertheless  tell  you  that  I  cannot,  will  not, 
accept  your  sacrifice  !  " 

"  Then,  Hildegarde,  you  do  not  love  me,"  he 
cried  impetuously. 

"  Do  I  not  ?  Can  you  not  see  that  I  am  giving 
the  greatest  proof  of  it  of  which  I  am  capable  ? 
Can  you  not  believe  that  I,  too,  can  make  a  sac- 
rifice ? " 

"I  understand  and  appreciate  your  motives 
better  than  you  have  done  mine,"  he  answered. 
"  Wounded  pride  is  assisting  your  magnanimity. 
You  are  mortified  at  my  having  hesitated — delib- 
erated— it  was  prudent,  perhaps,  but  I  am  heartily 
sorry  for  it  now.  I  see  it  has  made  you  so  con- 
trol your  thoughts  and  inclinations  that  friend- 
ship, and  not  love,  is  all  I  have  obtained  for  an 
affection  deserving  something  more — if  you  knew 


flnitials. 


but  all "  he  paused  ;  but  as  Hildegarde  made 

no  attempt  to  speak,  he  continued,  "  I  thought, 
when  we  met  at  Aschaffenburg,  I  hoped,  from 
what  you  said  just  now — that— Hildegarde  !  "  he 
cried  vehemently,  "  you  require  too  much  from 
me  ;  spoiled  by  adulation,  you  expect  me,  with- 
out a  struggle,  to  change  my  nature,  my  habits, 
and  my  manners  !  I  cannot  rave  like  your 
cousin " 

Hildegarde  became  deadly  pale,  she  tried  to 
speak,  and  moved  her  lips,  but  no  sound  issued 
from  them. 

"  Nor,"  he  continued,  still  more  vehemently  ; 
"  nor  can  I  bear  repulses,  like  Zedwitz  !  " 

Hamilton  heard  her  murmur  the  words  "  un- 
generous— unj  ust. " 

"  Forgive  me,  Hildegarde  ;  I  spoke  in  anger, 
and  am  sorry  for  it — I  ought  not  to  have  named 
your  cousin — can  you  forgive  me  ? " 

She  held  out  her  hand  in  silence. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  seating  himself  beside  her, 
"don't  let  us  ask  each  other  any  more  questions, 
or  talk  any  more  of  sacrifices  ;  but,  like  a  dear 
love,  you  will  promise  to  go  to  England  with  me 
to-morrow  !  won't  you  ?  " 

She  remained  silent,  her  eyes  cast  down,  while 
she  slowly  shook  her  head. 

"  You  will  not  ? " 

"  I  dare  not,"  she  answered,  gently  ;  but  ob- 
serving him  again  about  to  start  up,  she  laid  her 
hand  on  his  arm,  and  continued,  "  Do  not  ask 


f>alt !  399 

me  to  do  what  may  cause  us  both  unhappiness 
hereafter.  I  will  enter  into  an  engagement  with 
you  on  reasonable  terms." 

"  Oh — on  reasonable  terms  !  "  he  repeated  iron- 
ically. 

"I  cannot  go  on — you  are  too  unkind,"  she 
said,  while  the  tears  started  to  her  eyes. 

A  long  and  painful  pause  ensued.  Hamilton 
broke  it  by  saying,  "  \V  ell,  what  are  your  terms 
— anything  is  better  than  nothing — name  them — 
I  agree  to  everything  provided  I  may  claim  you 
in  two  years." 

"  Even  if  you  do  not,"  said  Hildegarde,  "  I 
promise  to  forgive  you." 

"  And  forget  me  too,  perhaps,"  said  Hamilton, 
with  a  forced  smile. 

"  That  I — cannot  promise  ;  but  it  is  of  little 
consequence  what  concerns  me.  You  must 
return  home  for  these  two  years,  weigh  well  this 
sacrifice  which  you  must  make  ;  it  will  not  be 
altogether  a  pecuniary  one,  for  I  suppose  there  is 
not  the  slightest  chance  of  obtaining  the  consent 
of  your  family  to  our  marriage  ;  and  as  you  spoke 
of  residing  in  Germany,  I  conclude  you  must 
give  up  all  your  relations  and  your  country 
too  ?  " 

"  Go  on,"  said  Hamilton,  without  moving,  or 
looking  at  her. 

"  I  shall  consider  myself  bound  by  a  promise, 
which  I  now  freely  make,  to  await  your  decision 
— you  are  free." 


Gbe  -ffnitials. 


"  Go  on,"  he  again  repeated,  as  he  had  done 
before. 

"  What  can  you  desire  more  ?  " 

"  Why,  nothing,  though  I  almost  expected  you 
to  propose  committing  to  paper,  in  due  form, 
this  most  rational  '  engagement  on  reasonable 
terms,'  "  and  he  drew  some  paper  towards  him 
as  he  spoke,  and  took  up  a  pen  ;  directly,  how- 
ever, throwing  it  down,  he  exclaimed  passion- 
ately, "  Oh,  Hildegarde,  this  will  never  do  ! 
Much  as  I  admire  your  decision  of  character, 
and  freedom  from  the  usual  weaknesses  of  your 
sex,  I — I  did  hope — I  do  wish  that  for  once  you 
would  be  like  a  girl  of  your  age  !  I  am  ready, 
without  regret,  to  leave  all  my  relations  and 
friends,  give  up  all  my  hopes  of  fame  or  suc- 
cess in  life — expatriate  myself  forever " 

"  I  see,  I  understand  now,"  cried  Hildegarde, 
interrupting  him.  "  A  man  has  hopes  of  fame, 
expectations  of  success  in  life.  We  have  noth- 
ing of  that  kind,  and,  therefore,  our  love  is  per- 
fectly exclusive,  all-absorbing." 

"  Not  yours,"  said  Hamilton,  "  though  I  confess 
I  expected  something  of  the  kind  from  you, 
some  little  enthusiasm  at  least  ;  however,  our 
contract  is  made,  irrevocably — even  though  I  see 
and  feel  that  your  love  is  of  the  very  coldest 
description,  in  fact,  scarcely  deserving  the 
name." 

"  Oh,  why,"  cried  Hildegarde,  with  all  her 
natural  vehemence  of  manner,  "  why  is  there  no 


1>alt !  401 

sacrifice  that  I  can  make  to  convince  you  that 
you  are  mistaken  !  There  is  none  I  would  not 
make,  provided  it  were  not  injurious  to  you." 

Hamilton  shook  his  head  and  turned  away. 

"  You  do  not  believe  me  ?  Try  me — ask  any 
proof — anything." 

He  started  from  his  seat,  walked  to  the  win- 
dow, threw  it  wide  open,  and  leaned  as  far  out 
as  he  could  in  the  night  air. 

All  this  was  too  much  for  Hildegarde,  her 
efforts  had  been  great  to  conceal  her  feelings, 
and  she  perceived  she  had  been  misunderstood  ; 
her  sincere  desire  to  act  magnanimously  had  been 
treated  with  contempt ;  Hamilton,  whom  she 
had  learned  to  trust  without  reserve  or  exam- 
ination, was  displeased,  angry  with  her,  perhaps. 
Perplexed,  worried,  and  wearied,  she  did  at 
length,  what  it  would  have  been  better  had  she 
done  half  an  hour  before  ;  she  covered  her  face 
with  her  handkerchief,  and  burst  into  tears. 

The  moment  Hamilton  turned  round  and 
perceived  that  she  was  crying  as  heartily  as  could 
be  desired  of  any  girl  of  her  age,  he  forgot  his 
anger  at  her  unexpected  opposition  to  his  wishes, 
and  rushing  towards  her,  commenced  an  in- 
coherent succession  of  excuses,  entreaties,  and 
explanations.  It  would  have  been  difficult  for  a 
third  person  to  have  known  what  he  meant  ; 
Hildegarde,  however,  seemed  to  understand  him 
perfectly.  In  a  short  time  she  began  to  look  up, 
and  smile  again,  and  in  about  a  quarter  of  an 


402  Gbe  Initials. 


hour  they  were  discussing  their  future  plans  in 
the  most  amicable  manner  imaginable.  Once 
more  Hamilton  had  recourse  to  the  pen  and  pa- 
per, but  this  time  it  was  to  make  a  sketch  of  the 
peasant's  house  near  Hohenfels,  which  was  to  be 
their  home  two  years  hence.  He  would  write  to 

the  Z s  about  it  directly,  or  go  to  them  ;  that 

would  be  better  still  ! 

No  ;  Hildegarde  thought  it  would  be  wiser  to 
wait  until  he  could  purchase. 

"  We  shall  have  cows,  and  calves,  and  all  those 
sort  of  things,  I  suppose  ?  "  said  Hamilton. 

"  I  should  think  so,"  replied  Hildegarde,  very 
gravely. 

"  I  wonder  shall  we  be  able  to  keep  a  pair  of 
horses  ?  "  said  Hamilton. 

"  Cart-horses  ?  Perhaps  we  may,"  answered 
Hildegarde,  merrily. 

"  No  ;  but  seriously,  Hildegarde,  I  should 
like  to  know  how  many  servants  we  shall 
have  ! " 

"Very  few,  I  suspect,"  said  Hildegarde,  "and 
therefore,  directly  I  return  to  my  mother,  I  shall 
endeavour  to  learn  to  be  really  useful." 

"But,"  said  Hamilton,  "but  these  domestic 
details,  which  were  so  disgusting  to  you — these 
vulgar  cares " 

"  All,  all  will  now  be  full  of  interest,"  said 
Hildegarde,  laughing  ;  "  I  really  feel  as  if  I 
could  even  learn  to  cook  !  " 

"  No,  no  ;  I  do  not  wish  that,  we  shall  cer- 


tmlt  t  403 

tainly  have  a  cook  !  A.  Z.  seemed  to  think  we 
could  get  on  quite  comfortably  if  we  lived  in  the 
country  !  I  shall  not  at  all  mind  going  out  with 
the  plough  if  it  be  necessary,  and  you — you  can 
spin,  you  know  ;  nothing  I  admire  so  much  as  a 
graceful  figure  at  a  spinning-wheel  ;  you  shall 
have  one  made  of  ebony,  and — but  can  you 
spin  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,  but  I  can  easily  learn,  and  in  time, 
I  dare  say,  we  shall  have  a  whole  press  full  of 
linen." 

"  Oh,  I  am  sure  we  shall  get  on  famously  ;  the 

Z s  are  not  at  all  rich — rather  poor,  I  believe, 

and  they  are  so  happy,  and  really  live  so  respecta- 
bly— they  will  be  our  neighbours,  and  I  am  sure 
you  will  like  them." 

"  I  remember,  I  rather  liked  her  at  Seon,  be- 
cause she  lent  me  books,"  observed  Hildegarde. 

"  They  will  be  society  for  us — that  is,  if  we 

ever  want  any.  Baron  Z is  very  cheerful, 

and  his  wife  is  really  a  very  sensible  woman. 
She  understands  housekeeping,  and  soapmaking, 
and  all  that  sort  of  thing,  and  will  be  of  great 
use  to  you,  I  am  sure.  Then  I  shall  rent  half 
their  alp,  and  send  up  our  cows  there  in  summer, 
and  then  we  shall  go  to  look  after  them,  and 

make  little  parties  with  the  Z s.  I  must  tell 

you  all  about  that." 

And  he  did  tell  her  all  about  that,  and  so  many 
other  things  too,  that  the  night  wore  away — the 
candles  burnt  down,  and  as  at  length  the  flame 


404  Cbe  f nftfale. 


extinguished  itself  in  the  melted  wax,  they  looked 
at  each  other  in  the  grey,  cold  light  of  breaking 
day! 

The  two  days  which  Hamilton  and  Hildegarde 
passed  in  the  Rhine  steamboat,  on  their  return 
to  Mayence,  were  the  happiest  of  their  still  so 
youthful  lives.  As  they  sat  together,  watching 
the  beautiful  windings  of  the  river,  or  glancing 
up  the  sides  of  the  wooded  mountains,  the  most 
perfect  confidence  was  established  between  them. 
The  events  of  the  last  year  were  discussed  with 
a  minuteness  which  proved  either  that  their 
memories  were  exceedingly  retentive,  or  that 
the  most  trifling  circumstances  of  that  period 
had  been  full  of  unusual  interest  to  both.  Their 
confessions  and  explanations  were  not  ended 
even  when  they  reached  Mayence,  where  Hilde- 
garde found  a  letter  from  the  Baroness  Waldorf. 
As  she  gave  it  to  Hamilton,  she  observed:  "After 
what  you  told  me  this  morning,  I  can  pardon, 
though  I  cannot  approve  of  her  conduct — she 
says,  however,  that  she  wrote  to  Hortense  to 
prevent  my  leaving  Munich,  and  I  am  glad  of  it, 
as  it  will  save  me  from  all  explanations,  and  I 
can  show  both  my  mother  and  Hortense  this 
letter  too  ;  so  everything  has  ended  just  as  we 
could  have  wished." 

"  Yes,"  said  Hamilton,  "  and  we  will  endea- 
vour to  believe  all  the  Baroness's  excuses — I 
dare  say  she  has  changed  all  her  plans — and 


1>alt !  405 

perhaps,  she  may  not  engage  a  governess  for  her 
daughter  for  a  year  or  two  ;  we  will  also  consent 
to  her  marriage  with  Zedwitz — to  whom  she  is 
as  attached  as  such  a  person  can  be — though  she 
is  not  likely  to  rise  in  his  estimation  by  the  proof 
which  she  has  given  of  her  jealousy — but  what 
do  you  mean  to  do  with  this  order  on  her  banker 
at  Frankfort — this  peace-offering  which  she  so 
diffidently  calls  her  debt  ?  " 

"  I — should  like  very  much — to  return  it," 
said  Hildegarde,  hesitatingly. 

"  I  thought  so,"  said  Hamilton,  "  and  in  the 
meanwhile  I  can  write  to  A.  Z.,  to  let  her  know 
that  if  we  are  all  alive  in  two  years  we  shall  be 

together,  and  to  request  Baron  Z to  enter 

into  negotiations  with  that  Felsenbauer,  the 
peasant  on  the  rocks,  as  he  is  called.  I  shall 
tell  A.  Z.  to  send  you  my  journal  :  it  may  amuse 
you  to  read  it,  and  in  the  margin  you  must 
write  whatever  is  necessary  in  explanation,  or, 
in  short,  whatever  you  think  likely  to  interest  us 
when  we  look  it  over  at  the  end  of  ten  or  twelve 
years.  A  journal,  you  know,  like  mine,  is  mar- 
vellously improved  by  age  !  " 

Hamilton  accompanied  Hildegarde  on  her 
way  home  as  far  as  she  would  allow  him — the 
last  day's  journey  she  chose  to  be  alone,  and  at 
Ingolstadt  they  parted.  For  two  years  ?  Or 
for  ever  ? 


406  Gbe  initials. 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 

CONCLUSION. 

HP  HE  RE  may  be  some,  there  maybe  many  of 
my  readers  who  would  think  that  Hamilton 
had  been  a  ''confounded  fool,"  were  they  to 
hear  that,  at  the  appointed  time,  he  braved  the 
threats,  resisted  all  the  bribes  of  his  uncle,  re- 
mitted his  five  thousand  pounds  to  Munich,  and 
returned  to  Bavaria,  with  the  intention  there  to 
live  and  die,  "  the  world  ( viz.,  London  )  forget- 
ting, by  the  world  forgot."  We  do  not  wish  him 
to  fall  in  the  opinion  of  anyone,  and  therefore 
request  all  persons  disposed  to  entertain  such  an 
opinion  of  him,  under  such  circumstances,  to 
close  this  book,  and  imagine  he  acted  as  they 
would  have  done  in  his  place.  Often  have  vows 
as  solemn  as  his  been  broken,  and  for  the  same 
mercenary  motives  which  might  have  tempted 
him ;  and  if  the  world  have  not  applauded, 
it  has  at  least  not  censured  such  derelictions  in  a 
manner  to  deter  others  from  practising  them. 

Suppose  him,  then,  reader,  (  not  gentle  reader, 
for  such  would  never  consent  to  the  supposi- 
tion,) suppose  him  at  the  end  of  two  years,  a 
man  of  the  world,  or  a  worldly  man,  whichever 
you  please,  Hildegarde  not  exactly  forgotten, 
but  remembered  only  as  a  "beautiful  girl  with 
whom  he  had  been  at  one  time  so  much  in  love 
as  to  have  entertained  the  absurd  idea  of  rusti- 


Conclusion.  40? 


eating  with  her  on  a  couple  of  hundred  pounds 
per  annum  in  the  Bavarian  Highlands  !  "  Sup- 
pose him  attached  to  some  embassy,  young, 
handsome,  and  rich,  the  chosen  partner  of  all 
still  dancing  princesses  !  Or  suppose  we  put  an 
end  to  Uncle  Jack  at  once,  and  allow  Hamilton, 
without  further  delay,  to  inherit  a  fortune  which 
would  give  him  a  position  in  the  London  and 
Yorkshire  world  ;  if  you  wish  it,  we  can  double 
his  income  too — in  books,  fifty  or  sixty  thousand 
a  year  is  quite  a  common  thing,  and  as  to  old 
uncles,  they  are  only  mentioned  in  order  that 
they  may  die,  just  when  their  fortune  is  neces- 
sary to  the  happiness  or  comfort  of  younger  or 

more  interesting  persons.     Suppose Suppose 

Suppose   you    close    the    book,    as    before 

recommended,  for  nothing  of  this  kind  occurred. 
Uncle  Jack  ( who  in  his  youth  had  taken  a  trip 
to  Gretna  Green )  might  have  pardoned  his 
nephew's  "  loving  not  wisely,  but  too  well  "  ;  but 
he  neither  would  do  so,  nor  would  he  die,  and 
so  Hamilton,  after  having  listened  to  his  father's 
reproaches  and  expostulations,  endured  his 
brother's  sneers,  and  steadily  set  at  defiance 
his  uncle's  anger,  returned  to  Munich  and 
claimed  his  bride,  of  whose  coldness  or  want  of 
enthusiasm  he  was  never  afterward  heard  to 
complain. 

Felsenbauer's  little  property  was  purchased, 
and  Hans,  after  having  officiated  as  Hamilton's 
'"  gentleman  "  for  two  years  in  England,  returned 


408  Gbe  IFnttiats. 


to  his  primitive  occupation  of  directing  the 
plough — not  quite,  indeed,  with  the  satisfaction 
of  a  Cincinnatus,  for  years  elapsed  before  he 
ceased  to  regret  his  fallen  greatness,  or  to  expa- 
tiate to  his  few  ignorant  fellow-servants  on  the 
splendors  of  his  master's  home. 

Hamilton  resigned  himself  more  cheerfully 
than  his  servant  to  his  change  of  fortune  ;  he 
never  spoke  of  home,  with  which  his  communi- 
cation became  very  indirect  and  uncertain  from 
the  time  his  sister  had  married  and  gone  to 
reside  in  the  north  of  Scotland.  His  brother 
John  seldom  wrote,  his  father  and  uncle  never  ; 
he  made  no  effort  to  conciliate  the  latter,  not 
even  taking  advantage  of  the  occasions,  which 
presented  themselves  at  a  later  period,  of  re- 
questing him  to  become  a  godfather  to  a  little 
Jack  or  a  little  Joan.  He  became  a  good 
farmer,  a  keen  sportsman,  and  so  celebrated  as 
a  rifle  shot,  that  he  was  feared  as  a  competitor  at 
all  the  Scheiben-Schiessen  in  the  neighbourhood. 
He  generally  wore  a  mountaineer's  dress — per- 
haps because  it  was  comfortable,  perhaps,  also, 
because  it  was  becoming  ;  and  in  the  course  of  a 
few  years  his  family  would  scarcely  have  recog- 
nised him  in  the  vigorous,  sunburnt  man,  whose 
very  features  were  changed  in  expression  by  his 
altered  mode  of  life — energy  and  strength  had 
taken  the  place  of  ease  and  gracefulness.  A.  Z. 
pronounced  the  change  advantageous,  and  often 
said  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  have  found  a 


Conclusion.  409 


more  picturesquely  bandit-looking  figure  than 
his  when,  on  a  return  from  the  hunt,  he  sprang 
on  the  rocky  path  leading  to  his  mountain  home, 
his  slouched  hat  shading  the  upper,  as  much  as 
his  long  moustache  the  lower  part  of  his  face. 

As  to  Hildegarde,  the  calm,  contented  tenor 
of  her  life  preserved  her  beauty  in  so  remarkable 
a  manner,  that  Hamilton  seriously  believed  she 

grew  handsomer  every  year  ;  they  and  the  Z s 

almost  lived  together,  no  summer  heat  or  winter 
storm  kept  them  asunder  ;  their  alpine  parties, 
and  sledging  expeditions  to  the  neighbouring 
balls  were  made  together,  and  many  a  little 
adventure  is  still  remembered  by  both  families, 
with  a  mixture  of  amusement  and  regret — regret 
that  those  times  are  past — gone — never  to  return 
again. 

At  the  end  of  eight  years  Uncle  Jack,  unso- 
licited, relented,  and  Hamilton  was  recalled. 
Can  it  be  believed  that  for  some  days  he  hesitated 
to  obey  the  mandate  ?  that  Hildegarde  wept  bit- 
terly for  the  first  time  since  her  marriage  ?  But 
so  it  was.  The  offers  which,  ten  years  before, 
would  have  filled  their  hearts  with  gratitude  and 
joy,  were  now  accepted  as  a  sacrifice  made  to 
the  future  prospects  of  their  children.  A.  Z.  to 
the  last  insisted  that  she  would  be  the  greatest 
sufferer  of  all.  "  In  you,"  she  said,  turning  to 
Hildegarde,  "  I  lose  the  most  patient  and  intelli- 
gent of  listeners  ;  in  your  husband,  the  most 
attentive  of  friends  ;  eight  years'  intimate  inter- 


410  tlbe  flnitials. 


course,  such  as  ours  has  been,  has  made  you  both 
so  completely  a  part  of  our  family,  that,  knowing 
how  much  we  shall  miss  you,  Herrmann  and  I 
have  at  length  come  to  the  long  protracted,  des- 
perate resolution  of  leaving  Hohenfels  ;  we  ought 
to  have  done  so  long  ago,  on  account  of  the 
education  of  our  children." 

"  Oh,  no,  don't  leave  Hohenfels  ;  we  shall  be 
sure  to  return  here  next  year — every  summer  ! " 
cried  Hamilton  and  Hildegarde,  almost  to- 
gether. 

But  they  have  not  returned,  nor  are  they  likely 
to  do  so.  The  revolution  which  commenced  in 
Germany,  in  the  year  1848,  is  still  in  progress  ; 
to  foretell  how,  or  when  it  will  end,  would  be 
difficult ;  this  much  is,  however,  certain,  that 
Bavaria  is  not  likely  to  be  soon  again  (if  ever)  as 
tranquil  and  happy  as  when  these  pages  were  first 
written  ;  then  the  most  intelligent  peasant  would 
have  refused  to  leave  his  waltz,  his  pot  of  beer, 
or  his  joyous  Jodel,  for  the  sake  of  any  newspaper 
that  ever  was  printed,  or  even  to  hear  a  political 
discussion  between  the  schoolmaster  and  the 
parish  priest  !  Great  is  the  change  which  has 
taken  place  in  this  respect ;  without  any  law  to 
control  the  liberty  of  the  press,  newspapers  of  the 
worst  tendency  now  circulate  in  all  directions, 
and  the  peasant  reads,  thinks,  and  talks  more  of 
politics  than  of  his  crops,  and  naturally  feels  in- 
clined to  adopt  opinions  calculated  to  elevate 
him  in  his  own  estimation,  and  draw  those  down 


Conclusion. 


to  his  level,  whom  he  had  formerly  considered 
far  above  him.  In  order  to  appreciate  the  im- 
portance of  this  change,  my  countrymen  must 
remember  that  in  Germany  the  peasantry  is  the 
army. 

Hohenfels  is   sold.     Baron  Z found  the 

brewery  more  expensive  than  profitable,  when 
his  visits  of  inspection  were  limited  to  an  occa- 
sional week  or  ten  days.  He  is  half  inclined  to 
purchase  Hamilton's  house,  which  still  remains, 
shut  up  and  uninhabited  ;  presenting,  as  A.  Z. 
observed  in  her  last  letter,  the  perfect  picture  of 
a  deserted  house,  with  all  its  "  garden  flowers 
growing  wild." 


"  After  all,  Hildegarde,"  said  Hamilton,  one 
morning,  as  they  looked  out  of  the  breakfast- 
room  window  into  his  uncle's  handsome  domain, 
"after  all,  if  we  could  conjure  a  few  of  your 
mountains,  with  some  chamois  upon  them,  here, 
I  believe  I  could  again  prefer  England  to  Ger- 
many— that  is,  in  my  present  position — a  poor 
man  really  can  enjoy  life  in  Germany — it  is  only 
a  rich  one  who  could  do  so  in  England  !  " 


THE   END. 


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